What it is
CVE-2023-21608 is an unauthenticated vulnerability affecting Adobe Acrobat Reader. Adobe Acrobat Reader versions 22.003.20282 (and earlier), 22.003.20281 (and earlier) and 20.005.30418 (and earlier) are affected by a...
Vulnerability report
Exploited in the wild
Confirmed confidence
In CISA KEV
CVE-2023-21608
Acrobat Reader Remote Code Execution
Adobe / Acrobat Reader · unspecified to <= 20.005.30418
- Severity
- CVSS 7.8 · High
- Confidence
- Confirmed
- Exploit status
- Exploited in the wild
- EPSS
- 61.5%
- 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 / Acrobat Reader unspecified to <= 20.005.30418.
What should we do?
Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
Overview
Acrobat Reader Remote Code Execution
Adobe Acrobat Reader versions 22.003.20282 (and earlier), 22.003.20281 (and earlier) and 20.005.30418 (and earlier) are affected by a Use After Free vulnerability that could result in 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.
Vendor
Product
Affected
Status
Adobe
Acrobat Reader
Through 20.005.30418
Affected
Adobe
Acrobat Reader
Through 22.003.20282
Affected
Adobe
Acrobat Reader
Through 22.003.20281
Affected
Adobe
Acrobat Reader
Through None
Affected
- Published
- 18 Jan 2023
- Exploitation Reported
- 10 Oct 2023
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
Tags
cisa
nessus_scanner
CVE References
- CVE Record CVE.org · CVE Record https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-21608
- helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb23-01.html helpx.adobe.com · CVE Record https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb23-01.html
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.
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 | 2023-10-10 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
Nessus template detected 02 Jun 2025.
View Nessus 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Nessus | https://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/169880 | 02 Jun 2025 |
Risk and context
Severity, weaknesses, and research context
CVSS v3.1
7.8
High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS
61.5%
Weaknesses
Timeline
From disclosure to observed exploitation
-
Nessus plugin available
Scanner coverage available
-
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-2023-21608
Free JSON includes basic KEV fields{
"cve_id": "CVE-2023-21608",
"confidence": "Confirmed",
"cvss_score": 7.8,
"cvss_estimated": false,
"epss_score": 0.61475,
"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
Receive curator-selected alerts when exploitation activity warrants attention. Each alert includes the evidence and context needed to decide what requires attention now.