How severe is CVE-2020-24435?

CVE-2020-24435 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-2020-24435 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 51% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-24435?

CVE-2020-24435 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-2020-24435?

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

When was CVE-2020-24435 published?

CVE-2020-24435 was published on 2020-11-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-24435

CVE-2020-24435 is a high-severity vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 51% places it in the 99th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-122.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 6.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 51% (99th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-122
Affected product: Adobe Acrobat
Published: 2020-11-05
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Acrobat Reader DC versions 2020.012.20048 (and earlier), 2020.001.30005 (and earlier) and 2017.011.30175 (and earlier) are affected by a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the submitForm function, potentially resulting in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation requires user interaction in that a victim must open a crafted .pdf file in Acrobat Reader.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-24435?: Acrobat Reader DC versions 2020.012.20048 (and earlier), 2020.001.30005 (and earlier) and 2017.011.30175 (and earlier) are affected by a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the submitForm function, potentially resulting in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation requires user interaction in that a victim must open a crafted .pdf file in Acrobat Reader.
How severe is CVE-2020-24435?: CVE-2020-24435 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-2020-24435 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 51% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-24435?: CVE-2020-24435 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-2020-24435?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2020-24435 published?: CVE-2020-24435 was published on 2020-11-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (6)

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

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…
CVE-2016-1044 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Reader and Acrobat before 11.0.16, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 15.006.30172, and Acrobat and…
CVE-2016-1041 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Reader and Acrobat before 11.0.16, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 15.006.30172, and Acrobat and…
CVE-2016-1038 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Reader and Acrobat before 11.0.16, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 15.006.30172, and Acrobat and…
CVE-2015-7622 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Reader and Acrobat 10.x before 10.1.16 and 11.x before 11.0.13, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before…
CVE-2015-6691 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 10.x before 10.1.16 and 11.x before 11.0.13, Acrobat and…

All CVEs affecting Adobe Acrobat →

Other CWE-122 (Heap-based Buffer Overflow) vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-46752 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Redis Lua HEAP overflow in cjson library vulnerability in Apache Kvrocks. This issue affects Apache Kvrocks: from…
CVE-2026-24822 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Out-of-bounds Write, Heap-based Buffer Overflow vulnerability in ttttupup wxhelper (src modules). This vulnerability is…
CVE-2025-23123 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A malicious actor with access to the management network could execute a remote code execution (RCE) by exploiting a…
CVE-2022-34819 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A vulnerability has been identified in SIMATIC CP 1242-7 V2 (All versions < V3.3.46), SIMATIC CP 1243-1 (All versions <…
CVE-2026-44050 — Critical (CVSS 9.9): A heap-based buffer overflow in the CNID daemon comm_rcv() function in Netatalk 2.0.0 through 4.4.2 allows a remote…
CVE-2026-49841 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): FreeSWITCH is a Software Defined Telecom Stack enabling the digital transformation from proprietary telecom switches to…

Browse all CWE-122 (Heap-based Buffer Overflow) vulnerabilities →