CVE-2023-26417
Published: 12 April 2023
Summary
CVE-2023-26417 is a high-severity Use After Free (CWE-416) vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).
Operationally, ranked at the 46.8th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
Deeper analysis
Adobe Acrobat Reader versions 23.001.20093 and earlier, along with versions 20.005.30441 and earlier, contain a Use After Free vulnerability tracked as CVE-2023-26417. The flaw is assigned CWE-416 and carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 7.8, reflecting local attack vector, low complexity, and no required privileges.
An attacker can exploit the issue by supplying a malicious file that a victim must open; successful exploitation grants arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. The requirement for user interaction limits remote, unauthenticated attacks but still enables targeted delivery through email or web downloads.
The Adobe security advisory APSB23-24, referenced at helpx.adobe.com, addresses the vulnerability and directs users to apply the vendor-supplied updates that remediate the use-after-free condition in the affected Acrobat Reader releases.
EPSS for the CVE rose materially from a low baseline near its initial value to a peak of 0.0735 on 2025-01-22 before receding to the current 0.0024, indicating a period of increased exploitation interest well after public disclosure.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-30237
Vulnerability details
Adobe Acrobat Reader versions 23.001.20093 (and earlier) and 20.005.30441 (and earlier) are affected by a Use After Free vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction…
more
in that a victim must open a malicious file.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
No named actor attribution yet. ATT&CK technique mapping in progress for this CVE.
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Use-after-free exploits that achieve arbitrary code execution are blocked or significantly hardened by non-executable pages and ASLR.