CVE-2011-2462: Adobe Reader and Acrobat Universal 3D Memory Corruption Vulnerability

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CRITICAL 9.8EXPLOITEDREMOTEUPGRADEUPGRADE

CVE-2011-2462 is a critical-severity flaw (CVSS 9.8) affecting acrobat, acrobat reader, reported as exploited in the wild. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Unspecified vulnerability in the U3D component in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 10.1.1 and earlier on Windows and Mac OS X, and Adobe Reader 9.x through 9.4.6 on UNIX, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unknown vectors, as exploited in the wild in December 2011.

Why this priority

Critical severity
EPSS top 1%: very likely to be exploited
Exploited in the wild (CISA KEV)
Public exploit reference
Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	9.8 (Critical)
Attack vector	Network (remote)
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	88.6% (top 1%)
CISA exploited list	Yes, fix due 2022-06-22
Weakness	CWE-787
Published	2011-12-07
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): Adobe Systems Incorporated · Vendor: adobe

Last updated 2026-06-16 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2011-12-07 19:55 UTCPublished CVE record published
2022-06-08Exploited Added to the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list
2022-06-22Deadline CISA due date for US federal agencies to patch
2026-06-16 23:31 UTCUpdated Record last modified

adobe acrobat UPGRADE

Affected: <= 10.1.1

Fixed in: newer than 10.1.1

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy acrobat || rpm -q acrobat || acrobat --version

2. UPGRADE to newer than 10.1.1 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade acrobat

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade acrobat

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

adobe acrobat reader UPGRADE

Affected: <= 10.1.1 · >= 9.0 and <= 9.4.6

Fixed in: newer than 10.1.1

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 9.0

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy acrobat-reader || rpm -q acrobat-reader || acrobat-reader --version

2. UPGRADE to newer than 10.1.1 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade acrobat-reader

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade acrobat-reader

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE to a release before 9.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison acrobat-reader sudo apt install acrobat-reader=<VERSION_BEFORE_9.0> sudo apt-mark hold acrobat-reader

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list acrobat-reader sudo dnf downgrade acrobat-reader-<VERSION_BEFORE_9.0> sudo dnf versionlock add acrobat-reader

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

Exact fixes by distribution

Fedora 46 · dupeguru · FIXED · 4.3.1^20261101git7a2c79f-1.fc46 · FEDORA-2026-fe4523382c · source

sudo dnf upgrade --advisory=FEDORA-2026-fe4523382c

Fedora ELN · openexr · FIXED · 3.4.13-3.eln159 · FEDORA-2026-827a613db5 · source

sudo dnf upgrade --advisory=FEDORA-2026-827a613db5

RHEL 6 Supplementary · acroread · FIXED · acroread-9.4.7-1.el6

sudo dnf upgrade --advisory=RHSA-2012:0011 rpm -q acroread

Public exploits and detection

Public code exists for this CVE. Treat unpatched systems as at risk, and only run PoCs in a lab.

Exploit-DB: Adobe Reader - U3D Memory Corruption (Metasploit)
Metasploit: Adobe Reader U3D Memory Corruption Vulnerability

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · CISA KEV catalog · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2011-2462?

acrobat: upgrade to newer than 10.1.1; acrobat reader: upgrade to newer than 10.1.1. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2011-2462 being exploited?

Yes. CVE-2011-2462 is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list, so treat it as patch-now.

What does CVE-2011-2462 affect?

CVE-2011-2462 affects acrobat, acrobat reader. Severity is critical (CVSS 9.8). Unspecified vulnerability in the U3D component in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 10.1.1 and earlier on Windows and Mac OS X, and Adobe Reader 9.x through 9.4.6 on UNIX, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of servic

How urgent is CVE-2011-2462?

Priority 94/100. Critical severity; EPSS top 1%: very likely to be exploited; Exploited in the wild (CISA KEV); Public exploit reference; Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

Software pages

Windows vulnerabilities · Adobe Acrobat vulnerabilities · Adobe Reader vulnerabilities

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References

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