How severe is CVE-2017-16398?

CVE-2017-16398 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2017-16398 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 9% (95th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-16398?

CVE-2017-16398 primarily affects Adobe Acrobat. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-16398?

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-2017-16398 published?

CVE-2017-16398 was published on 2017-12-09 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-16398

CVE-2017-16398 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-416.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 9.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 9% (95th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-416
Affected product: Adobe Acrobat
Published: 2017-12-09
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in Adobe Acrobat and Reader: 2017.012.20098 and earlier versions, 2017.011.30066 and earlier versions, 2015.006.30355 and earlier versions, and 11.0.22 and earlier versions. This vulnerability is an instance of a use after free vulnerability in the JavaScript engine. The mismatch between an old and a new object can provide an attacker with unintended memory access -- potentially leading to code corruption, control-flow hijack, or an information leak attack. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-16398?: An issue was discovered in Adobe Acrobat and Reader: 2017.012.20098 and earlier versions, 2017.011.30066 and earlier versions, 2015.006.30355 and earlier versions, and 11.0.22 and earlier versions. This vulnerability is an instance of a use after free vulnerability in the JavaScript engine. The mismatch between an old and a new object can provide an attacker with unintended memory access -- potentially leading to code corruption, control-flow hijack, or an information leak attack. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
How severe is CVE-2017-16398?: CVE-2017-16398 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2017-16398 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 9% (95th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-16398?: CVE-2017-16398 primarily affects Adobe Acrobat. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-16398?: 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-2017-16398 published?: CVE-2017-16398 was published on 2017-12-09 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (6)

cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat_dc:*:*:*:*:continuous:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat_dc:*:*:*:*:classic:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat_reader:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat_reader_dc:*:*:*:*:continuous:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:adobe:acrobat_reader_dc:*:*:*:*:classic:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Adobe Acrobat

CVE-2018-4872 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): An issue was discovered in Adobe Acrobat Reader 2018.009.20050 and earlier versions, 2017.011.30070 and earlier…
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