CVE-2008-2992
Stack-based buffer overflow in Adobe Acrobat and Reader 8.1.2 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a PDF file…
- 7.8HighCVSS base score
- 99.8%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 0.1% of all CVEs
- YesKnown exploitedin CISA's KEV since 3 Mar 2022
- 6Public exploitsMetasploit, Nuclei and Exploit-DB
Description
Stack-based buffer overflow in Adobe Acrobat and Reader 8.1.2 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a PDF file that calls the util.printf JavaScript function with a crafted format string argument, a related issue to CVE-2008-1104.
Exploited in the wild
CISA lists this vulnerability in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog as Adobe Reader and Acrobat Input Validation Vulnerability.
- Added
- 3 Mar 2022
- Fix due (US federal)
- 24 Mar 2022
- Used by ransomware
- Known
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
ENISA's EU Vulnerability Database lists it as exploited, from CISA's KEV, since 3 Mar 2022.
Public exploit
An exploit or proof of concept is public: anyone can try it against an unpatched system. The public collections list 2 Metasploit modules and 4 Exploit-DB entries for it. 2 references of the record are tagged as an exploit. CISA's SSVC rates its exploitation: it is being exploited.
Show the exploits8
Metasploit modules2 modules
- Adobe util.printf() Buffer Overflow (Metasploit module) (opens in a new tab)
exploit/windows/browser/adobe_utilprintfRank gooddisclosed 8 Feb 2008
- Adobe util.printf() Buffer Overflow (Metasploit module) (opens in a new tab)
exploit/windows/fileformat/adobe_utilprintfRank gooddisclosed 8 Feb 2008
Exploit-DB4 entries
- Adobe - 'util.printf()' Local Buffer Overflow (Metasploit) (2) (Exploit-DB entry) (opens in a new tab)
EDB-ID 16624local, windowspublished 25 Sept 2010Verified
- Adobe - 'util.printf()' Local Buffer Overflow (Metasploit) (1) (Exploit-DB entry) (opens in a new tab)
EDB-ID 16504local, windowspublished 3 May 2010Verified
- Adobe Reader - 'util.printf()' JavaScript Function Stack Overflow (1) (Exploit-DB entry) (opens in a new tab)
EDB-ID 6994local, windowspublished 5 Nov 2008Verified
- Adobe Reader - 'util.printf()' JavaScript Function Stack Overflow (2) (Exploit-DB entry) (opens in a new tab)
EDB-ID 7006local, windowspublished 5 Nov 2008Verified
References tagged exploit2 references
- 7006 (opens in a new tab)exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBx_transferred
- 6994 (opens in a new tab)exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBx_transferred
Modules, templates and exploits as listed by the Metasploit Framework (BSD-3-Clause), ProjectDiscovery's Nuclei templates (MIT) and the Exploit Database (GPLv2), read once a day. Where the data comes from
Timeline
ID reserved
By mitre
- 4 months later
· 4 months later
Published
- 13 years later
· 13 years later
Added to CISA KEV
Known exploited, also by ransomware
- 4 years later
· 4 years later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| CISA-ADPADP (enrichment) | 3.1 | High7.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| NVDNVD · Analyzed | 3.1 | High7.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 99.8% · top 0.1% of all CVEs (9 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: active · Automatable: no · Technical impact: total
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.8.
Affected products
n/a
- affected n/a
References
28
- 30035 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDx_transferred
- 32700 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
- http://support.nortel.com/go/main.jsp?cscat=BLTNDETAIL&id=909609 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- 20081104 Secunia Research: Adobe Acrobat/Reader "util.printf()" Buffer Overflow (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_BUGTRAQx_transferred
- http://secunia.com/secunia_research/2008-14/ (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- 32091 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDx_transferred
- 49520 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_OSVDBx_transferred
- 35163 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
- 249366 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUNALERTx_transferred
- 32872 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
- 7006 (opens in a new tab)exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBx_transferred
- 4549 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SREASONx_transferred
- http://www.coresecurity.com/content/adobe-reader-buffer-overflow (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- http://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-08-072/ (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb08-19.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- 20081104 ZDI-08-072: Adobe Acrobat PDF Javascript printf Stack Overflow Vulnerability (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_BUGTRAQx_transferred
- 6994 (opens in a new tab)exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBx_transferred
- ADV-2009-0098 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_VUPENx_transferred
- 29773 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
- TA08-309A (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_CERTx_transferred
- 1021140 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_SECTRACKx_transferred
- 20081104 CORE-2008-0526: Adobe Reader Javascript Printf Buffer Overflow (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_BUGTRAQx_transferred
- ADV-2008-3001 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_VUPENx_transferred
- SUSE-SR:2008:026 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSEx_transferred
- RHSA-2008:0974 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHATx_transferred
- VU#593409 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_CERT-VNx_transferred
- http://support.nortel.com/go/main.jsp?cscat=BLTNDETAIL&id=800801 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2008-2992 (opens in a new tab)government-resource
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- CISA KEV catalog (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2008-2982 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2008-2992)Record last updated .