Adobe Acrobat and Reader Heap-Based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability
n/a — n/a
Heap-based buffer overflow in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 7.x before 7.1.4, 8.x before 8.1.7, and 9.x before 9.2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted PDF file that triggers memory corruption, as exploited in the wild in October 2009. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
8.8
86.6%
Vector breakdown
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Published
- Oct 13, 2009
- Modified
- May 21, 2026
- Added to KEV
- May 20, 2026
- Federal patch due
- Jun 3, 2026
CISA required action
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Weakness classification
Proof-of-concept & exploitation references
Weaponization
Public repositories whose name or description references CVE-2009-3459, found via a live GitHub search at request time. These are community-sourced signals, not a verified working exploit - cross-check each one before relying on it, and treat higher star counts and recent activity as (weak) corroboration, not proof.
No public GitHub repositories referencing CVE-2009-3459 were found at last check. Absence here is not proof no exploit exists - see the references below for vendor advisories and write-ups.
References
Frequently asked questions
What is CVE-2009-3459?
Heap-based buffer overflow in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 7.x before 7.1.4, 8.x before 8.1.7, and 9.x before 9.2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted PDF file that triggers memory corruption, as exploited in the wild in October 2009. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
How severe is CVE-2009-3459?
CVE-2009-3459 has a CVSS base score of 8.8 out of 10 (CVSS 3.1).
Is CVE-2009-3459 actively exploited in the wild?
Yes. CVE-2009-3459 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added May 20, 2026, meaning CISA has confirmed evidence of active exploitation.
What is the EPSS score for CVE-2009-3459?
86.6% - meaning FIRST.org's EPSS model estimates a 86.6% probability this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within 30 days (100% percentile among all scored CVEs).
What type of vulnerability is CVE-2009-3459?
CVE-2009-3459 is classified under CWE-122 (CWE-122 Heap-based Buffer Overflow).
Cross-checked against
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