CVE-2018-4969

Exploitation likely. EPSS gives it a 11% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days. Fixed in 15.006.30418.

CVSS 3.07.5High EPSS percentile96th11% chance in 30 days CISA KEVNot listedNo confirmed exploitation
No public exploit known Fix15.006.30418Upgrade to this build

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

NVD CVE.org

What to do

Find your product and version, then upgrade to the build on the right.

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: ≥ 15.006.30417, < 15.006.30418Upgrade to: 15.006.30418Stated by: NVD

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

Steps

Written by AI from the record

Check which version of Adobe Acrobat and Reader you use (Help → About in each app) and confirm whether it is at or below 2018.011.20038, 2017.011.30079, or 2015.006.30417.
If you are on an affected version, upgrade adobe acrobat dc to 15.006.30418 (or newer).
If you can’t upgrade immediately, limit which files employees open from untrusted sources and ensure PDF downloads come only from expected, verified sources.

Vendor advisory Usually a quick update

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

This is a bug in older Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions that can let an attacker read sensitive data, and most small businesses should upgrade if those older versions are installed.

Out-of-bounds read in Adobe Acrobat and Reader (CWE-125) allows crafted input to cause memory to be read past intended bounds, potentially disclosing information without user interaction; fixed in adobe acrobat dc 15.006.30418.

If you're affected

Sensitive document data exposure
User or business information disclosure
Potential privacy breach
Increased incident response workload

What is it

Adobe Acrobat and Reader sometimes handle PDF files in a careful way to avoid accidentally exposing internal memory. In this bug, older versions can sometimes read “extra” memory beyond what they were meant to, which an attacker can use to disclose information. Think of it like a program grabbing a few lines from the wrong spot in a notebook—those stray lines may contain sensitive details.

Who is affected

This matters if you install or allow use of older Adobe Acrobat and Reader builds in your business, since PDFs are commonly exchanged via email and downloads. It’s a risk when an attacker can get a specially crafted file/content to be opened in an affected Acrobat/Reader version. If your version is already above the affected ranges, you’re not exposed to this specific issue.

How urgent is it

The traffic-light level is AMBER because there’s a credible path to information disclosure, and the issue is still showing rising predicted likelihood. There is no public exploit code on record and it’s not listed in the CISA KEV set, so this is not “known widely exploited,” but you should upgrade the affected Acrobat/Reader versions promptly.

What to do — in detail

Confirm exposure

On each system where Adobe Acrobat and Reader are installed, open the application and go to Help → About to read the exact version.
Compare against the affected ranges:
- 2018.011.20038 and earlier
- 2017.011.30079 and earlier
- 2015.006.30417 and earlier

Upgrade remediation (target fixed version)

Upgrade adobe acrobat dc to 15.006.30418 (or newer). This is the fixed version noted in the vendor remediation.
If you manage updates centrally (e.g., enterprise software management), push the update through your normal application deployment process so every workstation and server has the fixed build.

Temporary workaround (if upgrade is delayed)

Restrict who can open PDFs from untrusted sources.
Treat unexpected PDF attachments and files downloaded from email links or websites as high risk until Acrobat/Reader is upgraded.

What to monitor after the change

Verify the Acrobat/Reader versions on all endpoints now show 15.006.30418 (or newer).
If you have security tooling, watch for alerts tied to suspicious PDF activity or unusual file access by Acrobat/Reader.

Technical context

CVE-2018-4969 is a CWE-125 out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat and Reader. The mechanism is that crafted content can cause Acrobat/Reader to read memory beyond intended boundaries, leading to information disclosure. Fix availability is confirmed by the vendor remediation indicating adobe acrobat dc fixed in 15.006.30418. There is no public exploit code on record and the issue is not listed in the CISA KEV set; however, predicted exploitation likelihood is rising (per EPSS prediction) and the CVE has high CVSS impact characteristics (information disclosure potential). KEV not listed means exploitation is not confirmed by CISA’s actively exploited catalog.

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