Actively exploited in the wild
Adobe Acrobat and Reader Heap-based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability
Adobe - Acrobat and Reader · Listed in the CISA KEV since 2021-11-03. This indicates confirmed attacks in production environments.
Required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
CVE-2021-21017
HighCVSS 8.8KEVSummary
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC versions 2020.013.20074 (and earlier), 2020.001.30018 (and earlier), and 2017.011.30188 (and earlier) are affected by a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability. An unauthenticated attacker could exploit this to achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation requires user interaction, such as opening a malicious file.
Risk Assessment
Opening a malicious PDF file could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the victim's machine, potentially leading to system compromise and data theft.
Recommendation
Update Adobe Acrobat Reader DC to the latest version. Educate users about the risks of opening unknown PDF files.
Other vulnerabilities in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
Original NVD description (English source)
Acrobat Reader DC versions versions 2020.013.20074 (and earlier), 2020.001.30018 (and earlier) and 2017.011.30188 (and earlier) are affected by a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability. An unauthenticated attacker could leverage this vulnerability to achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must open a malicious file.