CVE-2009-1493
The customDictionaryOpen spell method in the JavaScript API in Adobe Reader 9.1, 8.1.4, 7.1.1, and earlier on Linux and UNIX allows remote…
- 6.8MediumCVSS base score
- 21.8%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 2.3% of all CVEs
- NoKnown exploitednot in CISA's KEV catalog
- 1Public exploitsMetasploit, Nuclei and Exploit-DB
Description
The customDictionaryOpen spell method in the JavaScript API in Adobe Reader 9.1, 8.1.4, 7.1.1, and earlier on Linux and UNIX allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption) or execute arbitrary code via a PDF file that triggers a call to this method with a long string in the second argument.
Public exploit
An exploit or proof of concept is public: anyone can try it against an unpatched system. The public collections list an Exploit-DB entry for it. A reference of the record is tagged as an exploit.
Show the exploits2
Exploit-DB1 entry
- Adobe 8.1.4/9.1 - 'customDictionaryOpen()' Code Execution (Exploit-DB entry) (opens in a new tab)
EDB-ID 8570remote, linuxpublished 29 Apr 2009Verified
References tagged exploit1 reference
- 8570 (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
Published
- 15 years later
· 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVDNVD · Modified | 2.0 | Medium6.8 | AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 21.8% · top 2.3% of all CVEs (12 Nov 2026)
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Medium 6.8.
Affected products
n/a
- affected n/a
References
References26
- 34740 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDx_transferred
- http://blogs.adobe.com/psirt/2009/05/adobe_reader_issue_update.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- http://support.nortel.com/go/main.jsp?cscat=BLTNDETAIL&id=926953 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- 35734 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
- TA09-133B (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_CERTx_transferred
- 8570 (opens in a new tab)exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBx_transferred
- ADV-2009-1189 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_VUPENx_transferred
- reader-spellcustom-code-execution(50146) (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_XFx_transferred
- http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb09-06.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- SUSE-SR:2009:011 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSEx_transferred
- http://blogs.adobe.com/psirt/2009/04/update_on_adobe_reader_issue.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- http://packetstorm.linuxsecurity.com/0904-exploits/spell.txt (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- 54129 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_OSVDBx_transferred
- GLSA-200907-06 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_GENTOOx_transferred
- 259028 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUNALERTx_transferred
- SUSE-SA:2009:027 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSEx_transferred
- 34924 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
- ADV-2009-1317 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_VUPENx_transferred
- 1022139 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_SECTRACKx_transferred
- 35358 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
- 35055 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
- VU#970180 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_CERT-VNx_transferred
- 35416 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
- RHSA-2009:0478 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHATx_transferred
- 35096 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
- 35152 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
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)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2009-1490 (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-2009-1493)Record last updated .