Overview
CVE-2025-43576 is a significant vulnerability that affects multiple versions of the popular Acrobat Reader software. The vulnerability is of the Use After Free type, a common class of issues that can lead to serious consequences, including arbitrary code execution under the identity of the logged-in user. This issue is particularly concerning due to Acrobat Reader’s widespread use, which makes numerous systems potentially susceptible to exploitation.
The severity of this vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date software, vigilant monitoring of cybersecurity threats, and continuous security patching. As this vulnerability requires user interaction to exploit, it also highlights the need for ongoing user education to prevent opening of malicious files.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-43576
Severity: High (CVSS: 7.8)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Arbitrary code execution, potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Acrobat Reader | 24.001.30235, 20.005.30763, 25.001.20521 and earlier versions
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability exists due to an error within the Acrobat Reader software’s memory handling. More specifically, the software fails to properly manage memory when handling certain file types. This can lead to a “Use After Free” condition, where the software continues to use memory after it has been freed or deleted.
In the context of this vulnerability, an attacker could craft a malicious file that, when opened by a victim in Acrobat Reader, triggers this condition and allows the attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. This could lead to a full compromise of the affected system.
Conceptual Example Code
While we won’t provide an actual exploit, a conceptual example might look something like this:
$ echo 'malicious_code' > malicious.pdf
$ acroread malicious.pdfIn the above example, the “malicious_code” represents code crafted to trigger the Use After Free condition in Acrobat Reader and execute arbitrary commands.
Mitigation
To mitigate the risk associated with this vulnerability, users should immediately apply the vendor-supplied patch once available. If the patch is not yet available or cannot be applied immediately, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can be used as temporary mitigation.
As this vulnerability requires user interaction, educating users about the risks of opening unexpected or suspicious files can also help prevent successful exploitation.