CVE-2022-27801
📋 TL;DR
A use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC allows attackers to execute arbitrary code when a user opens a malicious PDF file. This affects users of Acrobat Reader DC across multiple versions on Windows, macOS, and potentially other platforms. Successful exploitation requires user interaction but could lead to full system compromise.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
📦 What is this software?
Acrobat by Adobe
Acrobat by Adobe
Acrobat by Adobe
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with attacker gaining the same privileges as the current user, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Malicious PDFs delivered via phishing emails or malicious websites lead to malware installation on individual workstations.
If Mitigated
With proper patching and security controls, impact is limited to isolated incidents that can be contained through endpoint detection and response.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening malicious file). Use-after-free vulnerabilities are commonly exploited in PDF readers.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 22.001.20085 (for continuous track), 20.005.30314 (for 2020 classic track), 17.012.30205 (for 2017 classic track) or later
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb22-16.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. 2. Go to Help > Check for Updates. 3. Follow prompts to install available updates. 4. Restart the application. Alternatively, download latest version from Adobe website.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable JavaScript in Adobe Reader
allPrevents JavaScript-based exploitation vectors that might be used in conjunction with this vulnerability
Edit > Preferences > JavaScript > Uncheck 'Enable Acrobat JavaScript'
Use Protected View
allOpen untrusted PDFs in Protected View mode to limit potential damage
File > Properties > Security > Enable Protected View for untrusted documents
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Block PDF files at email gateways and web proxies
- Use application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized PDF readers
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Help > About Adobe Acrobat Reader DC and compare version against affected rangesCheck Version:
On Windows: wmic product where name="Adobe Acrobat Reader DC" get versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 22.001.20086 or higher, 20.005.30315 or higher, or 17.012.30206 or higher📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected Acrobat Reader crashes
- Suspicious child processes spawned from Acrobat Reader
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections from Acrobat Reader to unknown IPs
- DNS requests for suspicious domains after PDF opening
SIEM Query:
process_name:"AcroRd32.exe" AND (event_id:1 OR parent_process_name:"AcroRd32.exe")