Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This flaw affects Adobe Acrobat Reader DC on macOS. A malicious PDF or similar file could help an attacker gain higher local privileges after the user opens it. It is not remote, automatic compromise, but the impact can be severe on affected Macs.
Executive priority
Treat as a high-priority endpoint patching item, especially for macOS users exposed to external documents. It is not currently evidenced as actively exploited in the supplied sources, but successful exploitation could lead to serious privilege escalation.
Technical view
CVE-2020-24428 is a TOCTOU race condition in Acrobat Reader DC for macOS, mapped to CWE-367. The CVSS 3.1 score is 7.7 with local attack vector, high complexity, required user interaction, changed scope, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to macOS systems running Acrobat Reader DC versions 2020.012.20048, 2020.001.30005, 2017.011.30175, or earlier in those tracks.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation. Exploitation requires user interaction: the victim must open a malicious file. The vulnerability is local and high complexity, so phishing or document-based delivery is the most relevant risk context.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited to the CVE record and Adobe advisory reference. The source bundle identifies affected version thresholds and user-interaction requirements, but does not provide exploit details or named mitigations beyond consulting Adobe guidance.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory macOS endpoints for affected Acrobat Reader DC versions.
- Apply Adobe guidance from APSB20-67 for this vulnerability.
- Prioritize systems where users handle untrusted PDFs or email attachments.
- Restrict use of outdated Acrobat Reader versions until updated.
- Train users to avoid opening unexpected PDF attachments.
Validation and detection
- Check installed Acrobat Reader DC versions on managed macOS devices.
- Confirm affected version tracks are upgraded per Adobe APSB20-67.
- Review endpoint inventory for unmanaged macOS systems.
- Verify security tooling flags outdated Acrobat Reader installations.
- Check whether users receive untrusted PDFs from external sources.
Public sources used
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
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-367: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupPrivilege behavior lookup
The CVE wording references privilege impact, so privilege escalation and authorization behavior review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2020-24428 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.7 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
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.
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:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H16Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.7HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb20-67.htmlCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
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.
Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.