Security readout for executives and security teams
CVE-2018-4990 is a high-severity Adobe Acrobat and Reader flaw that can let an attacker run code as the logged-in user. It requires user interaction, such as opening a malicious PDF. CISA lists it in KEV, so treat it as known exploited rather than theoretical. Exposure is likely where legacy Adobe Acrobat or Reader versions remain on endpoints, especially systems used to open PDFs from email, web downloads, or shared repositories. The source bundle does not identify server-side products or non-Adobe affected software. Prioritize remediation because this is known exploited, affects common desktop software, and can lead to full code execution in the user context. Business urgency is highest for organizations with unmanaged desktops, high email attachment volume, or delayed third-party application patching. Mitigation focus: Update Adobe Acrobat and Reader according to Adobe APSB18-09 guidance.; Remove or replace versions at or below the affected version thresholds.; Prioritize endpoints that handle external PDFs or email attachments..
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
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ATT&CK lookup starting points
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CWE-415: Exact CWE lookup
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Open ATT&CK lookupExecution behavior lookup
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Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2018-4990 mapping review
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Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 8.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- Yes
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
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CISA KEV status
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe 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.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H2.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
8.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb18-09.htmlCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2018-4990CVE reference · government-resource
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Double Free
Double Free represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.