CVE-2017-11209

Exploitation likely. EPSS gives it a 11% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days. A vendor fix is available.

CVSS 3.06.5Medium EPSS percentile96th11% chance in 30 days CISA KEVNot listedNo confirmed exploitation
No public exploit known FixVendor fixNo build named by the sources

Published 2017-08-11Updated 2026-05-13Sources: CVE.org, NVD

NVD CVE.org

What to do

The vendor has published a fix. Version details are below where the sources state them.

Adobe Systems Incorporated Acrobat ReaderAffected: 2017.009.20058 and earlierUpgrade to: not statedAffected: 2017.008.30051 and earlierUpgrade to: not statedAffected: 2015.006.30306 and earlierUpgrade to: not statedAffected: 11.0.20 and earlierUpgrade to: not statedStated by: CVE record
Adobe AcrobatAffected: ≥ 11.0.0, ≤ 11.0.20Upgrade to: after 11.0.20Affected: ≥ 17.011.00000, ≤ 17.011.30066Upgrade to: after 17.011.30066Stated by: NVD
Adobe Acrobat DcAffected: ≥ 15.006.30060, ≤ 15.006.30306Upgrade to: after 15.006.30306Stated by: NVD
Adobe ReaderAffected: ≥ 11.0.0, ≤ 11.0.20Upgrade to: after 11.0.20Stated by: NVD

Versions as the sources state them. Full version matrix after sign-in

Steps

Written by AI from the record

Check whether your business uses Adobe Acrobat Reader / Adobe Acrobat DC / Reader, and note your exact version.
Update Acrobat/Reader using Adobe’s fix for this issue (Adobe Security Bulletin APSB17-24) to the patched release included there.
Until updated, treat unexpected or unusual PDF/XPS attachments as risky and avoid opening them; use a cautious workflow for external files.

Vendor advisory Some work to apply

Check it yourselfA free OpenVAS check exists for this CVE. Run it against your hosts.Is your organisation exposed?Request an assessment to establish which checks fit your systems.

What it is

From the CVE record

Adobe Acrobat Reader 2017.009.20058 and earlier, 2017.008.30051 and earlier, 2015.006.30306 and earlier, and 11.0.20 and earlier has an exploitable memory corruption vulnerability that occurs when reading a JPEG file embedded within XML Paper Specification (XPS) file. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.

In plain language

Written by AI from the record

CVE-2017-11209 is a bug in Adobe Acrobat/Reader that could allow a crafted document to take over a computer when it’s opened; if your business handles lots of PDFs or XPS files from customers or email, you should update.

CVE-2017-11209 is a memory-corruption flaw (CWE-119) in Adobe Acrobat/Reader triggered when opening a file that mixes XML Paper Specification (XPS) content with an embedded JPEG; this can lead to arbitrary code execution, typically requiring a user to open the document.

If you're affected

Computer takeover from opened file
Malware installation risk
Business disruption via compromised endpoints

What is it

Think of this like a “crashable lock” in Acrobat/Reader that can sometimes be tricked by a specially made document. If an employee opens that document, the attacker may be able to run code on the computer instead of just viewing the file—similar to opening a booby-trapped document that turns your computer into the attacker’s target.

Who is affected

This matters if your business installs and uses Adobe Acrobat Reader / Adobe Acrobat DC / Adobe Acrobat (and related Reader) to open documents, especially files received by email or from customers. The risk is driven by whether an attacker can get a malicious document in front of a user to open it (it’s not just background scanning).
Only consider it a real risk when users open a crafted file in the vulnerable Acrobat/Reader versions.

How urgent is it

This is a medium-severity issue, and there’s no public exploit code on record and it is not listed in CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities. However, press attention around it is rising, and the vulnerability can allow code execution when a user opens a crafted document—so it should be treated as an update-right-away item, especially if your staff frequently opens external documents.

What to do — in detail

Inventory: Identify every workstation and server where Adobe Acrobat Reader / Adobe Acrobat / Adobe Acrobat DC / Reader is installed.
Version check: On each endpoint, record the exact Acrobat/Reader version.
Determine exposure: Compare installed versions against the vulnerable ranges called out for CVE-2017-11209 (Acrobat Reader 2017.009.20058 and earlier; 2017.008.30051 and earlier; 2015.006.30306 and earlier; and 11.0.20 and earlier).
Upgrade to the fixed build: Apply the remediation from Adobe Security Bulletin APSB17-24. (Your IT team should install the patched version referenced by that bulletin for Acrobat/Reader.)
If you cannot patch immediately: Reduce exposure by blocking or quarantining unexpected attachments from external senders, and avoid opening suspicious PDFs/XPS files; route such files through a controlled review process.
After patching: Re-check versions to confirm every machine is on the patched release from APSB17-24.
What to monitor: Look for unusual endpoint behavior around the time of document opening (for example, unexpected new processes launched by Acrobat/Reader), and review security alerts tied to document viewer activity.

KEV note: CVE-2017-11209 is not listed in CISA KEV, so there is no confirmation in that program that widespread exploitation is occurring.

Technical context

CVE-2017-11209 is an Adobe Acrobat/Reader memory-corruption issue (CWE-119) involving how Acrobat/Reader processes a JPEG embedded within an XML Paper Specification (XPS) file. The reported trigger involves opening a crafted document (user interaction required), which can result in arbitrary code execution.

Findings status: not listed in CISA KEV, no public exploit code on record, and exploitation maturity is not confirmed by KEV/news in the provided findings. Predicted likelihood is present (modeled), but it should not be treated as evidence of real-world exploitation.

Patch availability: Adobe provided remediation in APSB17-24 (follow that bulletin for the patched Acrobat/Reader release and upgrade guidance).

This is a general assessment based on public vulnerability data. It does not account for your specific infrastructure — when in doubt, consult a security specialist.

Exploitation

Where each signal puts this CVE on the scale from published to confirmed exploited.

EPSS96th

CISA KEV

Not in the catalog. CISA has not confirmed exploitation.

Public exploits

No public exploit or proof of concept found in the sources we track.

EPSS

11% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, which ranks it in the 96th percentile of scored CVEs.

Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST.org. A probability, not a confirmation.

Lifecycle

25 events over 3330 days, from the signal feeds we watch.

2026-09-23EPSS band changelow → moderateepss band change
2026-09-21EPSS band changemoderate → lowepss band change
2026-09-06EPSS band change0 → moderateepss band change
2026-09-05EPSS band changemoderate → 0epss band change
2026-08-31EPSS band change0 → moderateepss band change
2026-08-29EPSS band changemoderate → low

Affected products

adobecommercial · USaka adobe systems inc.
- acrobat readerDesktop AppOn-premConsumer Software / productivity
- acrobat reader dcDesktop AppOn-premConsumer Software / productivity
- readerConsumer Software
Adobe Systems Incorporatedcommercial · USaka adobe
- Acrobat ReaderWeb & CMS Plugins

And 2 more affected products. See all after sign-in

Technical detail

CVSS 3.0 vector

Open in the CVSS calculator

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Scored 6.5 by NVD.

How it is reached

Attack Vector NetworkExploitable remotely over the network without any special conditions
Attack Complexity LowNo special conditions — the attack can be reliably reproduced
Privileges Required NoneNo authentication required — anyone can exploit this
User Interaction RequiredA user must click a link, open a file, or perform some action

Scope

Scope UnchangedImpact is limited to the vulnerable component itself

Impact if exploited

Confidentiality HighTotal information disclosure — all data in the component is compromised
Integrity NoneNo integrity impact
Availability NoneNo availability impact