CVE-2009-1856

CVE-2009-1856 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 14% places it in the 96th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-189.

Key facts

• Severity: Critical (CVSS 2.0 base score 9.3)
• EPSS exploit prediction: 14% (96th percentile)
• Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
• Weakness: CWE-189
• Affected product: Adobe Acrobat
• Published: 2009-06-11
• Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

Integer overflow in Adobe Reader 7 and Acrobat 7 before 7.1.3, Adobe Reader 8 and Acrobat 8 before 8.1.6, and Adobe Reader 9 and Acrobat 9 before 9.1.2 allows attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly execute arbitrary code via a PDF file containing unspecified parameters to the FlateDecode filter, which triggers a heap-based buffer overflow.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2009-1856?

Integer overflow in Adobe Reader 7 and Acrobat 7 before 7.1.3, Adobe Reader 8 and Acrobat 8 before 8.1.6, and Adobe Reader 9 and Acrobat 9 before 9.1.2 allows attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly execute arbitrary code via a PDF file containing unspecified parameters to the FlateDecode filter, which triggers a heap-based buffer overflow.

How severe is CVE-2009-1856?

CVE-2009-1856 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3, rated critical severity.

Is CVE-2009-1856 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 14% (96th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2009-1856?

CVE-2009-1856 primarily affects Adobe Acrobat. In total, 83 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2009-1856?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2009-1856 published?

CVE-2009-1856 was published on 2009-06-11 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

• http://labs.idefense.com/intelligence/vulnerabilities/display.php?id=807
• http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2009-07/msg00000.html
• http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2009-07/msg00002.html
• http://secunia.com/advisories/34580
• http://secunia.com/advisories/35496
• http://secunia.com/advisories/35655
• http://secunia.com/advisories/35685
• http://secunia.com/advisories/35734
• http://security.gentoo.org/glsa/glsa-200907-06.xml
• http://securitytracker.com/id?1022361
• http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb09-07.html
• http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2009-1109.html
• http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/35274
• http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/35294
• http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA09-161A.html
• http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/1547
• https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/51021

Affected products (83)

• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0:*:professional:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0:*:standard:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.1:*:professional:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.1:*:standard:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.2:*:professional:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.2:*:standard:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.3:*:professional:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.3:*:standard:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.4:*:professional:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.4:*:standard:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.5:*:professional:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.5:*:standard:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.6:*:professional:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.6:*:standard:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.7:*:professional:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.7:*:standard:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.8:*:elements:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.8:*:professional:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.8:*:standard:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.0.9:*:professional:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.1:*:professional:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.1:*:standard:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:7.1.1:*:standard:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:8.0:*:professional:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:8.0:*:standard:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:8.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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Browse all CWE-189 (Numeric Errors) vulnerabilities →