CVEs / CVE-2009-3459
CVE-2009-3459: Adobe Acrobat and Reader Heap-Based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability
- Known exploited in the CISA KEV catalog since 20 May 2026
- high 9.3 CVSS 2.0 (NVD)
- EPSS 86.6% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 99% of CVEs (30 Oct 2026)
- Last changed at its sources
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Summary
Adobe Acrobat and Reader contain a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability which could allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted PDF file that triggers memory corruption.
Description
Heap-based buffer overflow in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 7.x before 7.1.4, 8.x before 8.1.7, and 9.x before 9.2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted PDF file that triggers memory corruption, as exploited in the wild in October 2009. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
Affected and fixed versions
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| n/a n/a | n/a | — |
Exploitation
| In CISA KEV since | 20 May 2026 |
|---|---|
| Due date for US federal agencies | 3 Jun 2026 |
| Used in ransomware campaigns | Unknown |
| Required action | Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. |
Severity
| CVSS 2.0 | 9.3 highAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:CScored by NVD |
|---|---|
| Weakness | CWE-119, CWE-122 |
References
- CVE-2009-3459 on NVD
- CVE-2009-3459 in the CISA KEV catalog
- https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2009/10/13/adobe-reader-and-acrobat-vulnerabilities (cited by CISA)
- https://web.archive.org/web/20120324170253/http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb09-15.html#:~:text=CVE%2D2009%2D3459).-,NOTE%3A,-There%20are%20reports (cited by CISA)
- http://blogs.adobe.com/psirt/2009/10/adobe_reader_and_acrobat_issue_1.html Broken Link, Vendor Advisory
- http://isc.sans.org/diary.html?storyid=7300 Not Applicable
- http://secunia.com/advisories/36983 Vendor Advisory
- http://securitytracker.com/id?1023007 Broken Link
- http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb09-15.html Patch, Vendor Advisory
- http://www.iss.net/threats/348.html Broken Link
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/36600 Broken Link
- http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA09-286B.html US Government Resource
- http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/2851 Vendor Advisory
- http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/2898 Vendor Advisory
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/53691 Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A6534 Broken Link
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2009-3459 US Government Resource
Sources
Exploitation status from the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. EPSS scores from FIRST. Descriptions, severity and references from the National Vulnerability Database. Open-source package versions from OSV (CC-BY 4.0). Text is shown as each source states it; Stackurity does not edit it. Check the vendor's advisory before acting.
This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.