CVE-2026-34621 — Adobe Acrobat and Reader Prototype Pollution Vulnerability
Acrobat Reader versions 24.001.30356, 26.001.21367 and earlier are affected by an Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution') vulnerability that could result in 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.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- Confirmed exploitation (CISA KEV)+35
- Public exploit/PoC (github)+6
- EPSS 2.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+12
- Technical severity (high)+6
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
CISA required action CISA
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
US federal deadline: Apr 27, 2026 — passed 172 day(s) ago
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Acrobat 2024, Adobe Acrobat DC…).
- Treat as emergency remediation: the CVE is in CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Exploitation requires user interaction: tighten email/web filtering and warn affected users.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (injection), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe | Acrobat | ≥ 24.0.0 and < 24.001.30362≥ 24.0.0 and < 24.001.30360 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Adobe | Acrobat 2024 | ≤ 24.001.30356 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Adobe | Acrobat DC | ≤ 26.001.21367 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Adobe | Acrobat DC | < 26.001.21411 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Adobe | Acrobat Reader DC | ≤ 26.001.21367 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Adobe | Acrobat Reader DC | < 26.001.21411 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.6 | CVSS 3.1 | Critical | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
| 8.6 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 1.8 | 6.0 | psirt@adobe.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 8.6 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | adobe via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: psirt@adobe.com) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
CISA KEV details CISA
CISA lists a CVE once it has evidence of exploitation against real targets.
CISA records ransomware use only for campaigns it has confirmed, so “Unknown” means unrecorded, not ruled out. The deadline binds US federal agencies; for everyone else it is a reference date.
Public exploits, PoCs and detection templates
Public code that demonstrates or tests the flaw raises the odds of mass exploitation — and Nuclei templates help find vulnerable assets in your environment.
- azefzafyoussef/CVE-2026-34621 ★ 26 May 12, 2026
- A sophisticated, cross-platform exploit generator for **CVE-2026-34621** – a critical prototype pollution vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat and Reader that leads to sandbox escape and arbitrary code execution on Windows and macOS. ★ 13 Apr 15, 2026
- ercihan/CVE-2026-34621 ★ 2 Apr 13, 2026
- KeulenR01/Remediate-AdobeAcrobat-CVE-2026-34621 ★ 1 Apr 14, 2026
- ercihan/CVE-2026-34621_PDF_SAMPLE ★ 1 Apr 17, 2026
Warning: public PoCs are sometimes disguised malware. Use them only for authorized testing in an isolated environment. This portal does not host exploit code — it only points to the sources.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 12, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 3 reading(s) · max 2.18%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
- Look for parameters with command/query metacharacters and unexpected child processes of the service.
- Hunt retroactively in logs from before Apr 13, 2026 (KEV listing): exploitation may have started earlier.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · adobe/acrobat dc, adobe/acrobat reader dc, adobe/acrobat
- Source status changed · Published → Analyzed
- Record published
- Affected products added · adobe/acrobat dc, adobe/acrobat reader dc, adobe/acrobat 2024
- CVSS changed · 8.6
- Source status changed · → Published
- SSVC assessment updated
- Added to CISA KEV (detected)
- Record created in this database
- Added to CISA KEV catalog
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 3× References added · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
4 on the record
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Medium CVE-2026-82001 Acrobat Reader | Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (CWE-400) Sep 8, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-81993 Acrobat Reader | Heap-based Buffer Overflow (CWE-122) Sep 8, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-81994 Acrobat Reader | Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution') (CWE-1321) Sep 8, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-81997 Acrobat Reader | Incorrect Authorization (CWE-863) Sep 8, 2026
- High CVE-2026-81996 Acrobat Reader | Incorrect Authorization (CWE-863) Sep 8, 2026
- High CVE-2026-81988 Acrobat Reader | Use After Free (CWE-416) Sep 8, 2026
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-34621 is "Adobe Acrobat and Reader Prototype Pollution Vulnerability", rated High. It affects Acrobat (Adobe); versions are in the scope table. It is in CISA KEV: there is evidence of real-world exploitation. CVSS 8.6 describes technical severity. EPSS 2.18% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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