{"id":"CVE-2009-3459","published":"2009-10-13T10:30:00Z","modified":"2026-06-16T23:11:38Z","title":"Adobe Acrobat and Reader Heap-Based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability","vendor":"Adobe","product":"Acrobat and Reader","tier":"core","eol":null,"description":{"text":"Heap-based buffer overflow in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 7.x before 7.1.4, 8.x before 8.1.7, and 9.x before 9.2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted PDF file that triggers memory corruption, as exploited in the wild in October 2009. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":{"text":"A heap-based buffer overflow in Adobe Acrobat and Reader (the 7.x, 8.x and 9.x branches before 7.1.4, 8.1.7 and 9.2 respectively) lets memory corruption occur when the software processes a crafted PDF file. An remote attacker can exploit it to execute arbitrary code by getting a victim to open the malicious PDF, with no authentication required but user interaction needed.","provenance":"ai","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","generatedAt":"2026-10-23T07:10:22Z"},"cvss":{"score":8.8,"severity":"HIGH","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"epss":{"score":0.86646,"percentile":0.99739,"date":"2026-10-28","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2026-05-20","dueDate":"2026-06-03","ransomware":false,"requiredAction":"Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.","notes":"https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2009/10/13/adobe-reader-and-acrobat-vulnerabilities ; https://web.archive.org/web/20120324170253/http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb09-15.html#:~:text=CVE%2D2009%2D3459).-,NOTE%3A,-There%20are%20reports ; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2009-3459","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2009-10-13","exploitedFirstSeen":"2009-10-13","ransomware":false,"evidence":[{"url":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2009-3459","date":"2009-10-13"},{"url":"https://media.blackhat.com/bh-eu-10/presentations/Li_Lovet/BlackHat-EU-2010-Li-Lovet-Adobe-Heap-slides.pdf","date":"2010-04-12"},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","date":"2026-05-20"}],"evidenceTotal":3,"provenance":"source"},"exploited":true,"otx":{"pulseCount":50,"pulses":[{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae20c1db17e7057ae7d9ad1","created":"2026-10-28"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae0ba7e0e2a97ff7b218819","created":"2026-10-27"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adf68b85c3e852f3c111d18","created":"2026-10-26"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adb740e397c3ad4799aa4cd","created":"2026-10-23"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ada236fcfba2dfa730ea482","created":"2026-10-22"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad8d33a077cbb5cab524d80","created":"2026-10-21"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 21, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad78130c4d1ac2be83a8b6d","created":"2026-10-20"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 20, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad62f63c24a405a3423cc13","created":"2026-10-19"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 19, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad4dda174e5797d0bd238b7","created":"2026-10-18"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 18, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad38c22e1848f8189d1c121","created":"2026-10-17"}],"provenance":"machine"},"cwes":[{"id":"CWE-119","name":"Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer"},{"id":"CWE-122","name":"Heap-based Buffer Overflow"}],"references":[{"url":"http://blogs.adobe.com/psirt/2009/10/adobe_reader_and_acrobat_issue_1.html","tags":["Broken Link","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"http://isc.sans.org/diary.html?storyid=7300","tags":["Not Applicable"]},{"url":"http://secunia.com/advisories/36983","tags":["Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"http://securitytracker.com/id?1023007","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb09-15.html","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"http://www.iss.net/threats/348.html","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/36600","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA09-286B.html","tags":["US Government Resource"]},{"url":"http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/2851","tags":["Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/2898","tags":["Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/53691","tags":["Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A6534","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"http://blogs.adobe.com/psirt/2009/10/adobe_reader_and_acrobat_issue_1.html","tags":["Broken Link","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"http://isc.sans.org/diary.html?storyid=7300","tags":["Not Applicable"]},{"url":"http://secunia.com/advisories/36983","tags":["Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"http://securitytracker.com/id?1023007","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb09-15.html","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"http://www.iss.net/threats/348.html","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/36600","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA09-286B.html","tags":["US Government Resource"]},{"url":"http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/2851","tags":["Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/2898","tags":["Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/53691","tags":["Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A6534","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2009-3459","tags":["US Government Resource"]}],"techniques":[{"id":"T1189","name":"Drive-by Compromise","tactics":["initial-access"],"provenance":"source","basis":"ctid-cve","bases":["ctid-cve"],"basisDetail":"CTID attack_to_cve (Phase 1)","mappingType":"uncategorized","evidence":[],"confidence":"low","confidenceNote":"CTID attack_to_cve Phase 1 \"Uncategorized\" mapping (not staged by impact)"},{"id":"T1203","name":"Exploitation for Client Execution","tactics":["execution"],"provenance":"source","basis":"ctid-cve","bases":["ctid-cve","ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"CTID attack_to_cve (Phase 1); claude-haiku-5-5: heap overflow yields code execution in reader","mappingType":"uncategorized","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code","start":110,"end":159}],"confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"},{"id":"T1204.002","name":"Malicious File","tactics":["execution"],"provenance":"source","basis":"ctid-cve","bases":["ctid-cve","ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"CTID attack_to_cve (Phase 1); claude-haiku-5-5: user opens malicious PDF file","mappingType":"uncategorized","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"via a crafted PDF file that triggers memory corruption","start":160,"end":214}],"confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"}],"reports":[],"affected":[],"advisories":[],"euvd":{"id":"EUVD-2009-3441","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2009-3441","exploited":true,"exploitedSince":"2026-05-20","provenance":"source"},"exploits":[{"id":16546,"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/16546","title":"Adobe - FlateDecode Stream Predictor 02 Integer Overflow (Metasploit) (1)","type":"local","platform":"windows","date":"2010-09-20","verified":true,"provenance":"source"},{"id":16652,"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/16652","title":"Adobe - FlateDecode Stream Predictor 02 Integer Overflow (Metasploit) (2)","type":"local","platform":"windows","date":"2010-09-25","verified":true,"provenance":"source"}],"exploitSources":{"exploitdb":{"count":2,"earliest":"2010-09-20"},"metasploit":[{"name":"Adobe FlateDecode Stream Predictor 02 Integer Overflow","module":"exploit/windows/browser/adobe_flatedecode_predictor02","type":"exploit","disclosureDate":"2009-10-08","url":"https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/browser/adobe_flatedecode_predictor02.rb"},{"name":"Adobe FlateDecode Stream Predictor 02 Integer 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