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CVE Record

CVE-2017-16368: An issue was discovered in Adobe Acrobat and Reader: 2017.012.20098 and earlier versions, 2017.011.30066 an...

An issue was discovered in Adobe Acrobat and Reader: 2017.012.20098 and earlier versions, 2017.011.30066 and earlier versions, 2015.006.30355 and earlier versions, and 11.0.22 and earlier versions. This vulnerability leads to a stack-based buffer overflow condition in the internal Unicode string manipulation module. It is triggered by an invalid PDF file, where a crafted Unicode string causes an out of bounds memory access of a stack allocated buffer, due to improper checks when manipulating an offset of a pointer to the buffer. Attackers can exploit the vulnerability and achieve arbitrary code execution if they can effectively control the accessible memory.

HighCVSS 8.8Not KEV-listedUpdated
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysis

Security readout for executives and security teams

This is a high-severity Adobe Acrobat and Reader flaw. A malicious PDF can trigger memory corruption and potentially let an attacker run code on a user's machine. The main business risk is compromised endpoints when staff open untrusted PDFs, especially on older Acrobat or Reader versions. Organizations may be exposed where Adobe Acrobat or Reader is at 2017.012.20098, 2017.011.30066, 2015.006.30355, 11.0.22, or earlier branches. Exposure is most relevant on endpoints that receive PDFs from email, web downloads, customer portals, or document workflows. Treat this as a priority endpoint patching issue, not an internet-facing service emergency. The impact is serious because successful exploitation can run code, but the provided evidence requires user interaction and does not establish active exploitation. Mitigation focus: Inventory Acrobat and Reader versions across managed endpoints.; Apply Adobe guidance from APSB17-36 for affected Acrobat and Reader versions.; Prioritize systems handling external or high-volume PDF content..

Prepared

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

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ATT&CK lookup starting points

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cwe · low confidence lookup

CWE-119: Exact CWE lookup

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description · low confidence lookup

Execution behavior lookup

The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.

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cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2017-16368 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
High
CVSS
8.8 (3.1)
Known Exploited
No
Published

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

Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

1CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
2Source links

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
8.8CVSS 3.1HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H2.85.9Primary CVE score

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.1 score

8.8High
CVSS 3.1 vector shape for CVE-2017-16368Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

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

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/aAdobe Acrobat Reader 2017.012.20098 and earlier versions, 2017.011.30066 and earlier versions, 2015.006.30355 and earlier versions, 11.0.22 and earlier versionsAdobe Acrobat Reader 2017.012.20098 and earlier versions, 2017.011.30066 and earlier versions, 2015.006.30355 and earlier versions, 11.0.22 and earlier versionsListed
Weakness

CWE details

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.

CWE-119 · source CWE mapping

Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer

Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.