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HIGH · CVSS 7.8 CISA Known Exploited Vulnerability

CVE-2008-2992

Adobe Reader and Acrobat Input Validation Vulnerability

Adobe Acrobat and Reader

Stack-based buffer overflow in Adobe Acrobat and Reader 8.1.2 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a PDF file that calls the util.printf JavaScript function with a crafted format string argument, a related issue to CVE-2008-1104.

CVSS
7.8
HIGH
EPSS
98.5%
30-day exploitation
Ransomware groups
0
recorded exploiting
Published
4 Nov 2008
CWE-787

Exploitation status

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

Listed by CISA on 3 March 2022. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 24 March 2022. CISA records this vulnerability as known to be used in ransomware campaigns.

EPSS — exploitation probability

FIRST puts the probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days at 98.5%, which is higher than 99.9% of all scored vulnerabilities. EPSS is a forecast of activity, not a measure of severity, and it is rescored daily.

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Frequently asked questions

Is CVE-2008-2992 being exploited by ransomware groups?

No ransomware group in this database is currently recorded as exploiting CVE-2008-2992.

What does CVE-2008-2992 affect?

CVE-2008-2992 affects Adobe Acrobat and Reader. Stack-based buffer overflow in Adobe Acrobat and Reader 8.1.2 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a PDF file that calls the util.printf JavaScript function with a crafted format string argument, a related issue to CVE-2008-1104.

How severe is CVE-2008-2992?

CVE-2008-2992 is rated HIGH with a CVSS base score of 7.8. EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 98.5%, higher than 99.9% of all scored vulnerabilities. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, with a federal remediation deadline of 24 March 2022.

How should organisations respond to CVE-2008-2992?

Apply the vendor patch for Adobe Acrobat and Reader as the first priority, and treat any internet-facing instance as the most urgent. Because this vulnerability is associated with ransomware activity, also review whether the affected systems were reachable before patching, rather than assuming that patching alone closes the incident.