CVE-2025-64899
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat Reader that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Users of affected versions who open malicious PDF files are at risk. The vulnerability requires user interaction through opening a crafted file.
💻 Affected Systems
- Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
📦 What is this software?
Acrobat by Adobe
Acrobat by Adobe
Acrobat by Adobe
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with attacker gaining the same privileges as the current user, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement.
Likely Case
Limited code execution leading to malware installation, credential theft, or data exfiltration from the user's system.
If Mitigated
Application crash or denial of service if memory protections prevent successful exploitation.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening malicious file). No public exploit code available at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Versions after those listed in affected versions - check Adobe advisory for specific patched versions
Vendor Advisory: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb25-119.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Adobe Acrobat Reader. 2. Go to Help > Check for Updates. 3. Follow prompts to install available updates. 4. Restart the application when prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable JavaScript in PDFs
allPrevents JavaScript-based exploitation vectors that might accompany the memory corruption
Edit > Preferences > JavaScript > Uncheck 'Enable Acrobat JavaScript'
Use Protected View
allOpen untrusted PDFs in Protected View mode to limit potential damage
File > Open > Select file > Check 'Open in Protected View'
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict PDF file opening to trusted sources only
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized code execution
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Help > About Adobe Acrobat Reader DC and compare version against affected versions listCheck Version:
On Windows: wmic product where name="Adobe Acrobat Reader DC" get versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is newer than affected versions listed in Adobe advisory📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes with memory access violations
- Unexpected 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:1000 OR event_id:1001) AND exception_code:0xc0000005