CVE-2026-81978

Analyzed Analyzed - Analysis Complete

Out-of-Bounds Read Vulnerability in Acrobat Reader

Publication date: 2026-09-08

Last updated on: 2026-09-10

Assigner: Adobe Systems Incorporated

Description

Acrobat Reader is affected by an out-of-bounds read vulnerability that could lead to disclosure of sensitive memory. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to disclose sensitive information. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-09-08

Last Modified

2026-09-10

Generated

2026-09-29

AI Q&A

2026-09-09

EPSS Evaluated

2026-09-27

NVD

CVE-2026-81978

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
adobe	acrobat_dc	From 15.008.20082 (inc) to 26.002.21901 (exc)
adobe	acrobat_reader_dc	From 15.008.20082 (inc) to 26.002.21901 (exc)
adobe	acrobat	From 24.001.20604 (inc) to 24.001.30429 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-125	The product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Acrobat Reader that could allow an attacker to read sensitive memory contents. It requires user interaction, meaning a victim must open a specially crafted malicious file to trigger the issue.

Detection Guidance

Detection of this vulnerability requires monitoring for suspicious files or unusual memory access patterns. Since exploitation requires user interaction to open a malicious file, check for recently opened PDF files from untrusted sources. Use system logs to identify unexpected memory disclosures or crashes in Acrobat Reader processes.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could exploit this to access sensitive information stored in memory, potentially including passwords, encryption keys, or other confidential data. The impact is limited to information disclosure and does not allow code execution or system compromise.

Mitigation Strategies

Update Acrobat Reader to the latest version immediately. Disable PDF opening from untrusted sources or use a sandboxed environment. Monitor Adobe security advisories for patches and apply them promptly. Restrict user permissions to minimize impact if exploitation occurs.

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