Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This vulnerability lets a maliciously crafted file make Adobe Acrobat Reader DC read memory it should not. By itself it is an information disclosure issue, but the leaked information could help bypass defenses such as ASLR. A user must open the malicious file, so exposure is tied to document-handling workflows.
Executive priority
Treat this as a timely patching item, not an emergency based on the provided evidence. It affects a common desktop document reader and could support exploit chains, so prioritize exposed user workstations and shared environments.
Technical view
CVE-2022-28251 is a CWE-125 out-of-bounds read in Acrobat Reader DC annotation parsing. A crafted file can trigger a read past an allocated memory structure. CVSS 3.1 is 5.5, with local attack vector, low complexity, no privileges, required user interaction, and high confidentiality impact.
Likely exposure
Organizations are likely exposed where Adobe Acrobat Reader DC 22.001.2011x or earlier, 20.005.3033x or earlier, or 17.012.3022x or earlier remain installed and users open external or untrusted files.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not show known active exploitation, and the CVE is not listed as KEV. Exploitation requires a victim to open a malicious file. The main concern is enabling follow-on exploitation by disclosing memory useful for bypassing mitigations such as ASLR.
Researcher notes
Evidence identifies an out-of-bounds read during crafted-file parsing in annotation handling. The source bundle does not provide exploit details, fixed build numbers, or proof of exploitation. Validation should focus on version exposure and whether Adobe advisory remediation has been applied.
Mitigation direction
- Update Acrobat Reader according to Adobe APSB22-16 guidance.
- Prioritize endpoints used to open external or untrusted documents.
- Restrict handling of untrusted crafted files where patching is delayed.
- Keep attachment and download controls aligned with document-risk workflows.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Acrobat Reader DC versions across managed endpoints.
- Compare installed versions with the affected version ranges in the CVE.
- Confirm remediation status against Adobe APSB22-16.
- Check whether high-risk user groups regularly open untrusted files.
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-125: 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 lookupCVE-2022-28251 mapping review
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Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 5.5 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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.
SSVC decision data
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:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N1.83.6adobeVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
5.5MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb22-16.htmlCVE reference, adobe · 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.
Out-of-bounds Read
Out-of-bounds Read represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.