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NVD / CVE Program· CNA mitre

CVE-2008-2992: 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…

HighCVSS 7.8 · v3.1KEVWeaponized Fix available

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Now (action score 91/100)

  • CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild (Mar 3, 2022); it is known to be used in ransomware campaigns. Remediation deadline for US federal agencies: Mar 24, 2022.
  • A ready-made attack module is public (Metasploit); exploiting it takes no special expertise.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 99.7% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 99.9% of all records.
  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. No account or password is required. A user must open a link or visit a page. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: acroread (Red Hat:rhel_extras:3) 0:8.1.3-1; acroread-plugin (Red Hat:rhel_extras:3) 0:8.1.3-1; acroread (Red Hat:rhel_extras:4) 0:8.1.3-1.el4.

Patch today or shut off access. Upgrade to acroread (Red Hat:rhel_extras:3) 0:8.1.3-1; acroread-plugin (Red Hat:rhel_extras:3) 0:8.1.3-1; acroread (Red Hat:rhel_extras:4) 0:8.1.3-1.el4 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · CISA KEV · FIRST EPSS

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.

Published
Nov 4, 2008
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
99.7% · 99th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

91

Now

Patch today or shut off access.

CVSS
31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
CISA KEV
30 / 30 · Listed
EPSS
30 / 30 · 99.7%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
active
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

Actively exploited in the wild

CISA added this to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Mar 3, 2022. That signals real attacks, not theory.

Remediation deadline for US federal agencies: Mar 24, 2022.

Known to be used in ransomware campaigns.

Get told when this record changes

  • In CISA KEV: exploitation in the wild confirmed
  • Weaponized exploit exists
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2008-2992

When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
adobeacrobat
adobeacrobat reader
oraclesolaris

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • adobe acrobatup to 8.1.2 inclusive
  • adobe acrobat readerup to 8.1.2 inclusive
  • oracle solaris10

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Red Hat:rhel_extras:3acroreadbefore 0:8.1.3-10:8.1.3-1
Red Hat:rhel_extras:3acroread-pluginbefore 0:8.1.3-10:8.1.3-1
Red Hat:rhel_extras:4acroreadbefore 0:8.1.3-1.el40:8.1.3-1.el4
Red Hat:rhel_extras:4acroread-pluginbefore 0:8.1.3-1.el40:8.1.3-1.el4
Red Hat:rhel_extras:5::clientacroreadbefore 0:8.1.3-1.el50:8.1.3-1.el5
Red Hat:rhel_extras:5::clientacroread-pluginbefore 0:8.1.3-1.el50:8.1.3-1.el5

Same product

adobe: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2011-2462Unspecified vulnerability in the U3D component in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 10.1.1 and earlier on Windows and Mac OS X, and Adobe Reader 9.x…KEV
    96Now
  • CVE-2013-3346Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.x before 9.5.5, 10.x before 10.1.7, and 11.x before 11.0.03 allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a…KEV
    93Now
  • CVE-2021-21017Acrobat Reader DC Heap-based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability Could Lead To Arbitrary Code ExecutionKEV
    91Now

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2008-2042May 7, 2008 · The Javascript API in Adobe Acrobat Professional 7.0.9 and possibly 8.1.1 exposes a dangerous method, which allows remote attackers to…
    39Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2008-4071Sep 15, 2008 · A certain ActiveX control in Adobe Acrobat 9, when used with Microsoft Windows Vista and Internet Explorer 7, allows remote attackers to…
    26Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2008-4812Nov 5, 2008 · Array index error in Adobe Reader and Acrobat, and the Explorer extension (aka AcroRd32Info), 8.1.2, 8.1.1, and earlier allows remote…
    40Plan

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
red hat:acroread0:8.1.3-1 · Red Hat:rhel_extras:3Package registry (OSV)
red hat:acroread-plugin0:8.1.3-1 · Red Hat:rhel_extras:3Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

Weaponized

A ready exploit tool or active in-the-wild use is known for this vulnerability. This should be your top priority.

Evidence

  • Metasploit module ×2
  • Exploit-DB entry ×4
  • Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×1

Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.

Public exploit evidence
SourceKindDate
Exploit-DB entrylocal2010-05-03
Exploit-DB entrylocal2010-09-25
Exploit-DB entrylocal2008-11-05
Exploit-DB entrylocal2008-11-05
Metasploit moduleexploit/windows/browser/adobe_utilprintfAdobe util.printf() Buffer Overflowexploit2008-02-08
Metasploit moduleexploit/windows/fileformat/adobe_utilprintfAdobe util.printf() Buffer Overflowexploit2008-02-08
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:02026-04-15

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

  1. Metasploit-271 d
  2. Published
  3. First PoCsame day
  4. CISA KEV+4866 d
  5. TodayNov 13, 2026+6583 d
EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Not on record for this CVE: patch commit or PR link · researcher credit · variant or chain candidate · public bounty program.

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • A user must open a link or visit a page.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-787 · Out-of-bounds Write

CVSS vector

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

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.

References

Show all references (19 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records