CVE-2018-4962

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

CVSS 3.07.5High EPSS percentile96th11% chance in 30 days CISA KEVNot listedNo confirmed exploitation
No public exploit known FixVendor fixNo build named by the sources

Published 2018-07-09Updated 2024-11-21Sources: CVE.org, NVD

NVD CVE.org

What to do

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

n/a Adobe Acrobat and Reader 2018.011.20038 and earlier, 2017.011.30079 and earlier, and 2015.006.30417 and earlier versionsAffected: Adobe Acrobat and Reader 2018.011.20038 and earlier, 2017.011.30079 and…Upgrade to: not statedStated by: CVE record
Adobe Acrobat DcAffected: ≥ 15.006.30060, ≤ 15.006.30417Upgrade to: after 15.006.30417Stated by: NVD

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

Steps

Written by AI from the record

Check which Adobe Acrobat DC / Acrobat and Reader version you have installed (Help → About) and compare it to 2018.011.20038, 2017.011.30079, and 2015.006.30417.
If your version is at or below those listed (or older), upgrade using Adobe’s security update for APSB18-09.
If you cannot update right away, stop opening PDF/Office attachments from unexpected emails and use a dedicated viewer workflow for untrusted files (for example, open in a controlled environment or review externally).

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 and Reader versions 2018.011.20038 and earlier, 2017.011.30079 and earlier, and 2015.006.30417 and earlier have an Out-of-bounds read vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to information disclosure.

In plain language

Written by AI from the record

CVE-2018-4962 is a bug in older Adobe Acrobat/Reader versions that can let an attacker read some memory they shouldn’t; if you don’t actively open untrusted documents, it’s less likely to affect you, but updating is still a good idea.

CVE-2018-4962 is an out-of-bounds read in Adobe Acrobat and Reader that can result in information disclosure when processing a crafted file/document; there’s no confirmed public KEV entry or known public exploit code, but Adobe has issued remediation.

If you're affected

Confidential document data disclosure
Sensitive information exposure
Increased risk from phishing attachments

What is it

Think of Acrobat/Reader like a document reader that expects data to be in the right place. This bug can make it accidentally look past the intended boundaries and reveal bits of information that shouldn’t be accessible. In a worst case, it could expose sensitive information stored in memory while you open a harmful document.

Who is affected

This matters if your business uses Adobe Acrobat DC / Adobe Acrobat and Reader and you’re running versions 2018.011.20038 and earlier, 2017.011.30079 and earlier, or 2015.006.30417 and earlier. The risk is mainly tied to opening specially crafted documents, typically delivered through email or downloads—so it’s most relevant when staff handle untrusted attachments. Patch urgency is focused on exposure through document processing (i.e., it’s a concern when untrusted content can reach the vulnerable application).

How urgent is it

This is an AMBER issue: the bug can expose information if a malicious document triggers it, and Adobe has provided a fix. While there’s no CISA KEV listing and no public exploit code on record, the predicted likelihood is rising, so you should update as part of your next patch window (or sooner if staff open many external PDFs).

What to do — in detail

Confirm whether you’re affected

On each affected machine, open Adobe Acrobat/Reader and go to Help → About (or Acrobat/Reader → About Acrobat).
Record the exact version.
Treat you as affected if the version is 2018.011.20038 or earlier, 2017.011.30079 or earlier, or 2015.006.30417 or earlier.

Apply the fix

Upgrade Acrobat/Reader using Adobe’s remediation for APSB18-09 (see Adobe security update page in the findings).
After upgrading, re-check Help → About to confirm the version is now above the vulnerable thresholds.

If you can’t patch immediately (temporary risk reduction)

Don’t open PDFs or attachments from unexpected senders.
Route untrusted documents through a safer workflow (e.g., open in a restricted account, separate workstation, or controlled viewing environment) until patching is complete.
If your organization uses email gateways or attachment scanning, ensure it’s enabled and that users are still blocked from direct opening of suspicious files when possible.

What to monitor

Keep an eye out for internal reports of crashes or unusual document-opening behavior in Acrobat/Reader.
Ensure your patch process captures Acrobat/Reader updates going forward.

CISA KEV / exploit status

This CVE is not listed in CISA KEV, and there is no public exploit code on record (per the provided findings). That said, Adobe’s patch indicates it should still be treated as a real vulnerability—so prioritize updating vulnerable versions.

Technical context

CVE-2018-4962 is a CWE-125 out-of-bounds read in Adobe Acrobat and Reader. The provided information indicates information disclosure impact: when Acrobat/Reader parses a crafted input, it may read memory outside the intended bounds and potentially expose sensitive data to an attacker through the application’s processing behavior. The findings report no CISA KEV listing and no public exploit code on record, while EPSS prediction is rising; since exploitation status is not confirmed by KEV here, this is treated as AMBER rather than maximum urgency. Adobe remediation is available via APSB18-09 (linked in the findings).

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

23 events over 2998 days, from the signal feeds we watch.

2026-09-23EPSS band change0 → moderateepss band change
2026-09-21EPSS band changemoderate → 0epss band change
2026-09-06EPSS band change0 → moderateepss band change
2026-09-05EPSS band changemoderate → lowepss band change
2026-08-31EPSS band change0 → moderateepss band change
2026-08-28EPSS band changemoderate → 0epss band change

Affected products

adobecommercial · USaka adobe systems inc.
- acrobat reader dcDesktop AppOn-premConsumer Software / productivity

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:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Scored 7.5 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 NoneNo user interaction needed — fully automated exploitation

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