Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2020-24429 is a macOS Adobe Acrobat Reader DC flaw where a malicious file could bypass signature verification and, if opened by a user, lead to local privilege escalation. It is high severity, but requires user interaction and local execution conditions.
Executive priority
Treat as a high-priority endpoint patching issue for macOS environments using Acrobat Reader DC. It is not remotely exploitable without user action, but successful exploitation could elevate privileges after a malicious file is opened.
Technical view
Affected Acrobat Reader DC for macOS versions 2020.012.20048 and earlier, 2020.001.30005 and earlier, and 2017.011.30175 and earlier contain a CWE-347 signature verification bypass. CVSS v3.1 is 7.7 with local attack vector, high complexity, no privileges, required user interaction, changed scope, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Organizations with macOS endpoints running the listed legacy Acrobat Reader DC versions are exposed, especially where users open external PDFs or attachments. Windows or Linux exposure is not stated in the supplied sources.
Exploitation context
The sources state exploitation requires a victim to open a malicious file. The CVE is not listed as CISA KEV in the provided bundle, and no cited source states active exploitation.
Researcher notes
Evidence supports a macOS-only Acrobat Reader DC signature verification bypass with local privilege escalation impact. The supplied data does not include exploit details, observed exploitation, or fixed version numbers, so validation should focus on affected-version inventory and Adobe advisory alignment.
Mitigation direction
- Identify macOS endpoints running affected Acrobat Reader DC versions.
- Review Adobe APSB20-67 for vendor update guidance.
- Upgrade affected Acrobat Reader DC installations to a fixed supported release.
- Reinforce controls for unsolicited files until updates are confirmed.
- Prioritize managed macOS fleets and high-risk users first.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Acrobat Reader DC versions on macOS endpoints.
- Confirm versions exceed the affected release thresholds.
- Check patch deployment records against Adobe APSB20-67.
- Review endpoint controls for external file handling.
- Document any unsupported Reader installations for remediation.
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-347: 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-2020-24429 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.
Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature
Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.