Exploited vulnerability · CISA KEV
Is CVE-2018-4990 exploited? Yes: in CISA KEV since 8 Jun 2022
Gociux · Adobe Acrobat and Reader · data: CISA KEV, CVE record, FIRST EPSS
Yes. CVE-2018-4990, Adobe Acrobat and Reader Double Free Vulnerability, is being exploited in the wild. CISA added it to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 8 Jun 2022, 1430 days after it was published. It affects Adobe Acrobat and Reader. If you run it, CISA's required action is: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
exploitedYesCISA KEV · 8 Jun 2022
ransomwareNot knownno confirmed use
EPSStop 5%very likely to be exploited
severity8.8CVSS 3.1 · high
US federal due22 Jun 2022BOD 22-01 deadline
What it is
Adobe Acrobat and Reader have a double free vulnerability that could lead to remote code execution.
| Vendor | Adobe (83 exploited CVEs in KEV) |
| Product | Acrobat and Reader |
| Vulnerability | Adobe Acrobat and Reader Double Free Vulnerability |
| Weakness | CWE-415 |
| Published | 9 Jul 2018 |
| Added to KEV | 8 Jun 2022 |
| Reported by (CNA) | adobe |
What to do
- Check whether you run it. Look for Acrobat and Reader in your asset inventory, including appliances and cloud images. Stack check lists every exploited Adobe CVE at once.
- Apply the fix. Apply updates per vendor instructions.
- If you can't patch today, take the affected service off the internet or restrict who can reach it, and check its logs for signs of compromise since 9 Jul 2018.
- Get told next time. Email alerts when CISA adds a CVE for Adobe.
Other exploited CVEs in Acrobat and Reader
- CVE-2009-3459: Adobe Acrobat and Reader Heap-Based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability (20 May 2026)
- CVE-2026-34621: Adobe Acrobat and Reader Prototype Pollution Vulnerability (13 Apr 2026)
- CVE-2023-21608: Adobe Acrobat and Reader Use-After-Free Vulnerability (10 Oct 2023)
- CVE-2023-26369: Adobe Acrobat and Reader Out-of-Bounds Write Vulnerability (14 Sep 2023)
- CVE-2010-2883: Adobe Acrobat and Reader Stack-Based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability (8 Jun 2022)
- CVE-2009-4324: Adobe Acrobat and Reader Use-After-Free Vulnerability (8 Jun 2022)
References
Questions
Is CVE-2018-4990 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2018-4990 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 8 Jun 2022, which means there is reliable evidence of exploitation in the wild.
Is CVE-2018-4990 used in ransomware attacks?
CISA does not list known ransomware use for it. That can change, and exploitation alone is reason to fix it first.
How do I fix CVE-2018-4990?
Apply updates per vendor instructions. Check Adobe's advisory for the fixed versions, and if you can't patch quickly, restrict access to the affected Acrobat and Reader and watch it for signs of compromise.
Sources: CISA KEV (exploitation, ransomware use, required action, due date), the CVE record (publication date, CVSS, CNA), NVD and FIRST EPSS (live score). More: all KEV additions in June 2022 · Adobe scorecard · act-now radar.
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