How severe is CVE-2023-21608?

CVE-2023-21608 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-2023-21608 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2023-21608 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2023-10-10, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-21608?

CVE-2023-21608 primarily affects Adobe Acrobat Dc. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-21608?

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-2023-21608 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2023-21608 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2023-25775. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2023-10-10).

When was CVE-2023-21608 published?

CVE-2023-21608 was published on 2023-01-18 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-21608

CVE-2023-21608 is a high-severity vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat Dc 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 2023-10-10). The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-416.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
EPSS exploit prediction: 61% (99th percentile)
Actively exploited: Yes — listed in CISA KEV (added 2023-10-10)
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2023-25775
EU exploitation: Flagged exploited in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (since 2023-10-10)
Weakness: CWE-416
Affected product: Adobe Acrobat Dc
Published: 2023-01-18
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

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.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-21608?: 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.
How severe is CVE-2023-21608?: CVE-2023-21608 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-2023-21608 being actively exploited?: Yes. CVE-2023-21608 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2023-10-10, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-21608?: CVE-2023-21608 primarily affects Adobe Acrobat Dc. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-21608?: 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-2023-21608 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2023-21608 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2023-25775. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2023-10-10).
When was CVE-2023-21608 published?: CVE-2023-21608 was published on 2023-01-18 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (4)

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

More vulnerabilities in Adobe Acrobat Dc

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…

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Other CWE-416 (Use After Free) vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-13782 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Use after free in Browser in Google Chrome prior to 150.0.7871.47 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the…
CVE-2026-4725 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Sandbox escape due to use-after-free in the Graphics: Canvas2D component. This vulnerability was fixed in Firefox 149…
CVE-2026-4688 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Sandbox escape due to use-after-free in the Disability Access APIs component. This vulnerability was fixed in Firefox…
CVE-2025-24085 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A use after free issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3,…
CVE-2024-43102 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Concurrent removals of certain anonymous shared memory mappings by using the UMTX_SHM_DESTROY sub-request of…
CVE-2021-32495 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Radare2 has a use-after-free vulnerability in pyc parser's get_none_object function. Attacker can read freed memory…

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