What it is
CVE-2009-3953 is an unauthenticated vulnerability affecting Adobe Reader and Acrobat. The U3D implementation in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.x before 9.3, 8.x before 8.2 on Windows and Mac OS X, and 7.x before 7.1.4...
Vulnerability report
Exploited in the wild
Confirmed confidence
In CISA KEV
CVE-2009-3953
Reader and Acrobat
Adobe / Reader and Acrobat
- Severity
- CVSS 8.8 · High
- Confidence
- Confirmed
- Exploit status
- Exploited in the wild
- EPSS
- 83.9%
- First observed
- —
- Last observed
- —
Decision summary
What security teams need to know first
Direct answers before the deeper technical record.
Is it exploited?
Yes. KEV Intelligence tracks this CVE as a known exploited vulnerability. Confidence is confirmed.
Who is affected?
Adobe / Reader and Acrobat.
What should we do?
Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
Overview
Reader and Acrobat
The U3D implementation in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.x before 9.3, 8.x before 8.2 on Windows and Mac OS X, and 7.x before 7.1.4 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via malformed U3D data in a PDF document, related to a CLODProgressiveMeshDeclaration "array boundary issue," a different vulnerability than CVE-2009-2994.
- Published
- 13 Jan 2010
- Exploitation Reported
- 08 Jun 2022
- Attack vector
- Remote
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
Tags
cisa
macos
windows
metasploit
CVE References
- CVE Record CVE.org · CVE Record https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2009-3953
- RHSA-2010:0060 redhat.com · Vendor Advisory http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2010-0060.html
- SUSE-SA:2010:008 lists.opensuse.org · Vendor Advisory http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2010-01/msg00009...
- 38138 secunia.com · Third-Party Advisory http://secunia.com/advisories/38138
- 38215 secunia.com · Third-Party Advisory http://secunia.com/advisories/38215
- TA10-013A us-cert.gov · Third-Party Advisory http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA10-013A.html
- oval:org.mitre.oval:def:8242 oval.cisecurity.org · VDB Entry https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.m...
- ADV-2010-0103 vupen.com · VDB Entry http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2010/0103
- 1023446 securitytracker.com · VDB Entry http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1023446
- 61690 osvdb.org · VDB Entry http://osvdb.org/61690
- acrobat-reader-u3d-code-execution(55551) exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com · VDB Entry https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/55551
- 37758 securityfocus.com · VDB Entry http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/37758
- metasploit.com/modules/exploit/windows/fileformat/adobe_u3d... metasploit.com · CVE Record http://www.metasploit.com/modules/exploit/windows/fileformat/adobe_u3...
- adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb10-02.html adobe.com · CVE Record http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb10-02.html
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi bugzilla.redhat.com · CVE Record https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=554293
Exploitation evidence
Why KEV Intelligence marks this CVE as exploited
Third-party attestation and first-party sensor observation are shown separately so teams can judge the evidence chain.
Exploited in the wild
CISA
Independent exploitation attestation added to the KEV Intelligence record.
Proof of concept available
Public scanner or PoC coverage increases practical exploitability.
Known exploited vulnerability sources
Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the KEV Intelligence Pro API.
Learn about Pro API access| Source | Added |
|---|---|
| CISA First | 2022-06-08 00:00 UTC |
Detection
Operational artifacts and observed signals
Make the evidence actionable in scanner, SOC, and edge-control workflows.
Observed signals
- Request targets
- 0
- User-Agents
- 0
Raw values available in Pro and Enterprise.
Scanner coverage
Metasploit template detected 28 Apr 2025.
View Metasploit template (opens in new tab)Virtual patch status
No KEV Intelligence virtual patch is currently available. Future rules ship for ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF.
Learn about virtual patches →Scanner Artifacts
Scanner and exploit-framework references linked to this CVE.
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit | https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/fileformat/adobe_u3d_meshdecl.rb | 28 Apr 2025 |
Risk and context
Severity, weaknesses, and research context
CVSS v3.1
8.8
High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS
83.9%
Weaknesses
All CVSS Scores
CVSS v3.1
8.8
High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS v2.0
10.0
High
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Potential Proof of Concepts
These PoCs are unverified and could contain malware. Use at your own risk.
Timeline
From disclosure to observed exploitation
-
Metasploit module available
Exploit module available
-
Public PoC available
Public proof-of-concept code published
-
Added to CISA KEV
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
-
CVE published
Vulnerability disclosed publicly
-
CVE ID reserved
Identifier reserved by the CNA
Pro API
Automate this intelligence
Confidence, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.
- Evidence confidence and provenance
- First-party sensor telemetry
- PoC and scanner references
- Affected versions and enrichment
- Automation-ready JSON delivery
GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2009-3953
Free JSON includes basic KEV fields{
"cve_id": "CVE-2009-3953",
"confidence": "Confirmed",
"cvss_score": 8.8,
"cvss_estimated": false,
"epss_score": 0.83855,
"exploit_status": {
"exploited_in_the_wild": true,
"active_exploitation_observed": false
},
"sensor_telemetry": { "attempts": 0, "sensors": 0 }
}Early warning alerts
Get alerts on high-impact exploitation
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