CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2017-16368 — Adobe Acrobat security vulnerability

High CVSS 9.3

An issue was discovered in Adobe Acrobat and Reader: 2017.012.20098 and earlier versions, 2017.011.30066 and earlier versions, 2015.006.30355 and earlier versions, and 11.0.22 and earlier versions. This vulnerability leads to a stack-based buffer overflow condition in the internal Unicode string manipulation module. It is triggered by an invalid PDF file, where a crafted Unicode string causes an out of bounds memory access of a stack allocated buffer, due to improper checks when manipulating an offset of a pointer to the buffer. Attackers can exploit the vulnerability and achieve arbitrary code execution if they can effectively control the accessible memory.

Severity
High
CVSS
9.3 (2.0)
Published
2017-12-09
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
software/application
Weaknesses
CWE-119

Affected products

  • adobe / acrobat
  • adobe / acrobat_dc
  • adobe / acrobat_reader
  • adobe / acrobat_reader_dc

Showing 4 representative product identities from 8 source matches. Confirm exact affected versions with the linked vendor and NVD evidence.

Matched remediation archetype

Buffer bounds, memory safety, and memory corruption

This catalog composition supplies bounded fallback guidance. Explicitly reviewed curated workflows load with the complete record below.

Check exposure

  • Identify affected native-code versions, build flags, architectures, parsers, codecs, drivers, and input paths in all shipped artifacts.
  • Determine whether untrusted data reaches the affected routine and the process privilege, sandbox, and network exposure.
  • Confirm statically linked, vendored, firmware, and platform-provided copies, not only package-manager records.

Remediate safely

  • Apply the maintained upstream correction or replace the affected component, then rebuild every dependent artifact from clean inputs.
  • Adopt bounds-checked interfaces, validated sizes and integer conversions, clear ownership, and memory-safe components where practical.
  • Enable supported compiler and runtime hardening and add sanitized tests and fuzz regression seeds derived from non-weaponized fixtures.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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