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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2023-44371: Adobe Acrobat Reader · Use After Free

Affects Adobe Acrobat ReaderSource CVE Database V5

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
7.8High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
4.9% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 92% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 16 Nov 2023

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

What to do

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
Adobe Acrobat ReaderAffected
  • =0
Fixed in–

AI-suggested

  1. Monitor Adobe's official channels for security updates and apply patches immediately once available to remediate the vulnerability.
  2. Implement strict email filtering and attachment scanning to detect and block malicious PDF files before they reach end users.
  3. Educate users about the risks of opening unsolicited or unexpected PDF attachments, emphasizing caution with files from unknown or untrusted sources.
  4. Employ application whitelisting and sandboxing techniques to restrict the execution environment of Acrobat Reader, limiting the potential impact of exploitation.
  5. Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for suspicious behaviors indicative of exploitation attempts.
  6. Consider disabling JavaScript and other potentially exploitable features within Acrobat Reader if not required for business processes.
  7. Enforce the principle of least privilege for users running Acrobat Reader to minimize the scope of potential code execution.
  8. Regularly audit and update security policies related to document handling and user awareness training to reduce the likelihood of successful social engineering attacks.

Description

CVE-2023-44371 is a high-severity Use After Free vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat Reader versions 23.006.20360 and earlier, as well as 20.005.30524 and earlier. This vulnerability allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the current user if the victim opens a specially crafted malicious PDF file. Exploitation requires user interaction, specifically opening the malicious file, and no prior authentication is needed. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with a CVSS score of 7.8. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild.

References

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