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Known Exploited Vulnerability
9.6
CRITICAL CVSS 3.0
CVE-2021-28550
Adobe Acrobat and Reader Use-After-Free Vulnerability - [Actively Exploited]
Description

Acrobat Reader DC versions versions 2021.001.20150 (and earlier), 2020.001.30020 (and earlier) and 2017.011.30194 (and earlier) are affected by a Use After Free vulnerability. An unauthenticated attacker could leverage this vulnerability to achieve 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.

INFO

Published Date :

Sept. 2, 2021, 5:15 p.m.

Last Modified :

Feb. 13, 2025, 5:30 p.m.

Remotely Exploit :

Yes !

Source :

[email protected]
CISA Notification
CISA KEV (Known Exploited Vulnerabilities)

For the benefit of the cybersecurity community and network defenders—and to help every organization better manage vulnerabilities and keep pace with threat activity—CISA maintains the authoritative source of vulnerabilities that have been exploited in the wild.

Description :

Adobe Acrobat and Reader contains a use-after-free vulnerability that could allow an unauthenticated attacker to achieve code execution in the context of the current user.

Required Action :

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Notes :

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-28550

Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2021-28550 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

ID Vendor Product Action
1 Adobe acrobat_dc
2 Adobe acrobat_reader_dc
3 Adobe acrobat
4 Adobe acrobat_reader
1 Apple macos
1 Microsoft windows
: Total Affected Vendor : 3 | Products : 6
CVSS Scores
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardized framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and displays CVSS scores from various sources for each CVE.
Score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Score Impact Score Source
CVSS 2.0 MEDIUM [email protected]
CVSS 3.0 CRITICAL [email protected]
CVSS 3.1 HIGH [email protected]
Solution
This addresses a Use-After-Free vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat and Reader that could allow for arbitrary code execution.
  • Upgrade Adobe Acrobat and Reader to the latest version.
  • Restart the application after upgrading.
Public PoC/Exploit Available at Github

CVE-2021-28550 has a 11 public PoC/Exploit available at Github. Go to the Public Exploits tab to see the list.

References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools

Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to CVE-2021-28550.

URL Resource
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb21-29.html Release Notes Vendor Advisory
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb21-29.html Release Notes Vendor Advisory
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2021-28550 is associated with the following CWEs:

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2021-28550 weaknesses.

We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).

Profile Photo
trustset86/test

None

Python Ruby

Updated: 4 months ago
0 stars 0 fork 0 watcher
Born at : May 22, 2025, 8:16 a.m. This repo has been linked 2 different CVEs too.
Profile Photo
com-hash/Malicious-PDF-Generator-

None

Python

Updated: 8 months ago
1 stars 0 fork 0 watcher
Born at : Jan. 14, 2025, 5:59 a.m. This repo has been linked 2 different CVEs too.
Profile Photo
ChalkingCode/ExploitedDucks

A super simple Cisa KEV lookup CLI tool leveraging DuckDB

Python

Updated: 1 year, 1 month ago
1 stars 0 fork 0 watcher
Born at : July 2, 2024, 7:56 p.m. This repo has been linked 33 different CVEs too.
Profile Photo
day0xy/malicious-pdf

archive of github.com/jonaslejon/malicious-pdf

Python

Updated: 1 year, 4 months ago
1 stars 0 fork 0 watcher
Born at : May 21, 2024, 10:58 a.m. This repo has been linked 2 different CVEs too.
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takumakume/dependency-track-policy-applier

Manage OWASP Dependency-Track policy idempotent.

Makefile Go Dockerfile

Updated: 2 years ago
0 stars 0 fork 0 watcher
Born at : Sept. 1, 2023, 1:22 a.m. This repo has been linked 9 different CVEs too.
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xaitax/cisa-catalog-known-vulnerabilities

None

Python HTML

Updated: 2 months ago
22 stars 1 fork 1 watcher
Born at : Jan. 14, 2023, 8:36 p.m. This repo has been linked 10 different CVEs too.
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eeenvik1/scripts_for_YouTrack

Набор скриптов для парсинга агрегаторов уязвимостей и выгрузки информации в YouTrack

Python

Updated: 2 months, 2 weeks ago
27 stars 6 fork 6 watcher
Born at : May 17, 2022, 11:34 a.m. This repo has been linked 61 different CVEs too.
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Ostorlab/KEV

Ostorlab KEV: One-command to detect most remotely known exploitable vulnerabilities. Sourced from CISA KEV, Google's Tsunami, Ostorlab's Asteroid and Bug Bounty programs.

cisa-kev vulnerability 0day cisa exploits

Updated: 1 month, 2 weeks ago
581 stars 42 fork 42 watcher
Born at : April 19, 2022, 8:58 a.m. This repo has been linked 1287 different CVEs too.
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dudacgf/ovr_convert

Openvas XML Report Converter is a flask-based microweb page that helps using openvasreporting to convert xml reports exported from Greenbone Security Assistant into xlsx workbooks, docx documents or csv files.

flask openvasreporting dropzone flask-session bootstrap-flask

Python CSS JavaScript HTML

Updated: 1 year, 3 months ago
2 stars 0 fork 0 watcher
Born at : Nov. 26, 2021, 2:09 p.m. This repo has been linked 8 different CVEs too.
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jonaslejon/malicious-pdf

💀 Generate a bunch of malicious pdf files with phone-home functionality. Can be used with Burp Collaborator or Interact.sh

penetrationtesting pentesting pentesting-tools penetration-testing penetration-test pdf-generation pdf bugbounty bugbounty-tool python redteam redteaming scanner

Python

Updated: 2 months ago
3083 stars 371 fork 371 watcher
Born at : Aug. 17, 2021, 10:10 a.m. This repo has been linked 5 different CVEs too.
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n0-traces/cve_monitor

Automatic monitor github cve using Github Actions

Python

Updated: 6 months, 3 weeks ago
2 stars 55 fork 55 watcher
Born at : April 7, 2021, 11:16 a.m. This repo has been linked 1008 different CVEs too.

Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.

The following list is the news that have been mention CVE-2021-28550 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

  • CybersecurityNews
Online PDF Editors Safe to Use? Detailed Analysis of Security Risks Associated With It

Online PDF editors have become common tools for quick document manipulation, providing convenient alternatives to desktop software. However, their cloud-based nature brings significant security vulner ... Read more

Published Date: Aug 26, 2025 (3 weeks, 5 days ago)

Results are limited to the first 20 news articles due to potential performance issues.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2021-28550 vulnerability over time.

Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.

  • Modified Analysis by [email protected]

    Feb. 13, 2025

    Action Type Old Value New Value
  • CVE Modified by af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108

    Nov. 21, 2024

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Reference https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb21-29.html
  • Modified Analysis by [email protected]

    Jul. 29, 2024

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Changed CPE Configuration AND OR cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* OR *cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat_dc:*:*:*:*:continuous:*:*:* versions from (including) 15.008.20082 up to (including) 21.001.20150 *cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat_reader_dc:*:*:*:*:continuous:*:*:* versions from (including) 15.008.20082 up to (including) 21.001.20150 AND OR *cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat_dc:*:*:*:*:continuous:*:*:* versions from (including) 15.008.20082 up to (including) 21.001.20150 *cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat_reader_dc:*:*:*:*:continuous:*:*:* versions from (including) 15.008.20082 up to (including) 21.001.20150 OR cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    Changed CPE Configuration AND OR cpe:2.3:o:apple:macos:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* OR *cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:*:*:*:*:classic:*:*:* versions from (including) 17.011.30059 up to (including) 17.011.30194 *cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:*:*:*:*:classic:*:*:* versions from (including) 20.001.30005 up to (including) 20.001.30020 *cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat_reader:*:*:*:*:classic:*:*:* versions from (including) 17.011.30059 up to (including) 17.011.30194 *cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat_reader:*:*:*:*:classic:*:*:* versions from (including) 20.001.30005 up to (including) 20.001.30020 AND OR *cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:*:*:*:*:classic:*:*:* versions from (including) 17.011.30059 up to (including) 17.011.30194 *cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:*:*:*:*:classic:*:*:* versions from (including) 20.001.30005 up to (including) 20.001.30020 *cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat_reader:*:*:*:*:classic:*:*:* versions from (including) 17.011.30059 up to (including) 17.011.30194 *cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat_reader:*:*:*:*:classic:*:*:* versions from (including) 20.001.30005 up to (including) 20.001.30020 OR cpe:2.3:o:apple:macos:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • CVE Modified by [email protected]

    May. 14, 2024

    Action Type Old Value New Value
  • CVE Modified by [email protected]

    Nov. 07, 2023

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added CVSS V3 Adobe Systems Incorporated AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
    Removed CVSS V3.1 Adobe Systems Incorporated AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
  • Initial Analysis by [email protected]

    Sep. 15, 2021

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added CVSS V2 Metadata Victim must voluntarily interact with attack mechanism
    Added CVSS V2 NIST (AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P)
    Added CVSS V3.1 NIST AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    Changed Reference Type https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb21-29.html No Types Assigned https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb21-29.html Release Notes, Vendor Advisory
    Added CPE Configuration AND OR *cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat_dc:*:*:*:*:continuous:*:*:* versions from (including) 15.008.20082 up to (including) 21.001.20150 *cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat_reader_dc:*:*:*:*:continuous:*:*:* versions from (including) 15.008.20082 up to (including) 21.001.20150 OR cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    Added CPE Configuration AND OR *cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:*:*:*:*:classic:*:*:* versions from (including) 17.011.30059 up to (including) 17.011.30194 *cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:*:*:*:*:classic:*:*:* versions from (including) 20.001.30005 up to (including) 20.001.30020 *cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat_reader:*:*:*:*:classic:*:*:* versions from (including) 17.011.30059 up to (including) 17.011.30194 *cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat_reader:*:*:*:*:classic:*:*:* versions from (including) 20.001.30005 up to (including) 20.001.30020 OR cpe:2.3:o:apple:macos:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    Added CPE Configuration AND OR *cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat_dc:*:*:*:*:continuous:*:*:* versions from (including) 15.008.20082 up to (including) 21.001.20150 *cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat_reader_dc:*:*:*:*:continuous:*:*:* versions from (including) 15.008.20082 up to (including) 21.001.20150 OR cpe:2.3:o:apple:macos:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.
Vulnerability Scoring Details
Base CVSS Score: 8.8
Attack Vector
Attack Complexity
Privileges Required
User Interaction
Scope
Confidentiality Impact
Integrity Impact
Availability Impact
Base CVSS Score: 9.6
Attack Vector
Attack Complexity
Privileges Required
User Interaction
Scope
Confidentiality Impact
Integrity Impact
Availability Impact
Base CVSS Score: 6.8
Access Vector
Access Complexity
Authentication
Confidentiality Impact
Integrity Impact
Availability Impact
Exploit Prediction

EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days.

22.45 }} 0.05%

score

0.95628

percentile