CVE-2009-4324

CVE-2009-4324 is a high-severity vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. It is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming it has been exploited in the wild (added 2022-06-08). The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-416.

Key facts

• Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
• CVSS v2: 9.3
• EPSS exploit prediction: 82% (100th percentile)
• Actively exploited: Yes — listed in CISA KEV (added 2022-06-08)
• EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2009-4292
• EU exploitation: Flagged exploited in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (since 2022-06-08)
• Weakness: CWE-416
• Affected product: Adobe Acrobat
• Published: 2009-12-15
• Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

Use-after-free vulnerability in the Doc.media.newPlayer method in Multimedia.api in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.x before 9.3, and 8.x before 8.2 on Windows and Mac OS X, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted PDF file using ZLib compressed streams, as exploited in the wild in December 2009.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2009-4324?

Use-after-free vulnerability in the Doc.media.newPlayer method in Multimedia.api in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.x before 9.3, and 8.x before 8.2 on Windows and Mac OS X, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted PDF file using ZLib compressed streams, as exploited in the wild in December 2009.

How severe is CVE-2009-4324?

CVE-2009-4324 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2009-4324 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2009-4324 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2022-06-08, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.

What products are affected by CVE-2009-4324?

CVE-2009-4324 primarily affects Adobe Acrobat. In total, 7 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2009-4324?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.

Does CVE-2009-4324 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2009-4324 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2009-4292. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2022-06-08).

When was CVE-2009-4324 published?

CVE-2009-4324 was published on 2009-12-15 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

• http://blogs.adobe.com/psirt/2009/12/new_adobe_reader_and_acrobat_v.html
• http://contagiodump.blogspot.com/2009/12/virustotal-httpwww.html
• http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2010-01/msg00009.html
• http://osvdb.org/60980
• http://secunia.com/advisories/37690
• http://secunia.com/advisories/38138
• http://secunia.com/advisories/38215
• http://www.adobe.com/support/security/advisories/apsa09-07.html
• http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb10-02.html
• http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/508357
• http://www.metasploit.com/redmine/projects/framework/repository/revisions/7881/entry/modules/exploits/windows/fileformat/adobe_media_newplayer.rb
• http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2010-0060.html
• http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/37331
• http://www.shadowserver.org/wiki/pmwiki.php/Calendar/20091214
• http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/zero-day-xmas-present
• http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA10-013A.html
• http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/3518
• http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2010/0103
• https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=547799
• https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/54747
• https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A6795
• https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2009-4324

Affected products (7)

• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat_reader:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:a:suse:linux_enterprise_debuginfo:11:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:11.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:11.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise:10.0:sp2:*:*:*:*:*:*
• cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise:10.0:sp3:*:*:*:*:*:*

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