CVE-2026-81988
Received Received - Intake

Use After Free in Acrobat Reader Leading to Arbitrary Code Execution

Publication date: 2026-09-08

Last updated on: 2026-09-09

Assigner: Adobe Systems Incorporated

Description
Acrobat Reader is 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 in that a victim must open a malicious file.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-09-08
Last Modified
2026-09-09
Generated
2026-09-09
AI Q&A
2026-09-09
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-81988

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
adobe acrobat_reader *

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-416 The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.

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Executive Summary

This is a Use After Free 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

Detection may involve monitoring for suspicious PDF files or unusual processes after opening files. Check for Adobe Acrobat Reader versions affected by this vulnerability. Use system logs to identify unexpected crashes or code execution attempts.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could let an attacker run malicious code on your system with the same privileges as your user account. This could lead to data theft, system damage, or further compromise.

Mitigation Strategies

Update Adobe Acrobat Reader to the latest patched version immediately. Avoid opening untrusted PDF files. Disable PDF readers' ability to open files from external sources if possible.

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