CVE-2026-81981

Analyzed Analyzed - Analysis Complete

Out-of-Bounds Write in Adobe 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 write vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. 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-2026-81981

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-787	The product writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Acrobat Reader that could allow arbitrary code execution. It requires user interaction, meaning a victim must open a malicious file to trigger the issue.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability requires user interaction to exploit, so detection involves monitoring for suspicious PDF files or unusual Acrobat Reader behavior. Check for recently opened PDFs from untrusted sources. Use system logs to identify unexpected crashes or code execution attempts in Acrobat Reader processes.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could allow attackers to run malicious code on your system with the same privileges as your user account. This could lead to data theft, system compromise, or further malware installation.

Mitigation Strategies

Update Acrobat Reader to the latest version immediately. Disable PDF opening from untrusted sources or email attachments. Implement application whitelisting to restrict Acrobat Reader execution to trusted paths only. Monitor Adobe security advisories for patches.

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