CVE-2020-9715
Adobe Acrobat Use-After-Free Vulnerability
Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions 2020.009.20074 and earlier, 2020.001.30002, 2017.011.30171 and earlier, and 2015.006.30523 and earlier have an use-after-free vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution .
Exploitation status
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
Listed by CISA on 13 April 2026. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 27 April 2026.
EPSS — exploitation probability
FIRST puts the probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days at 48.6%, which is higher than 98.8% 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-2020-9715 being exploited by ransomware groups?
No ransomware group in this database is currently recorded as exploiting CVE-2020-9715.
What does CVE-2020-9715 affect?
CVE-2020-9715 affects Adobe Acrobat. Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions 2020.009.20074 and earlier, 2020.001.30002, 2017.011.30171 and earlier, and 2015.006.30523 and earlier have an use-after-free vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution .
How severe is CVE-2020-9715?
CVE-2020-9715 is rated HIGH with a CVSS base score of 7.8. EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 48.6%, higher than 98.8% of all scored vulnerabilities. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, with a federal remediation deadline of 27 April 2026.
How should organisations respond to CVE-2020-9715?
Apply the vendor patch for Adobe Acrobat 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.