# CVE-2014-0496: Adobe Reader and Acrobat Use-After-Free

> Attackers can execute arbitrary code via a use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat on Windows and Mac OS X.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 3 Mar 2022 (CISA KEV)
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 15 Jan 2014
- **Updated:** 21 Nov 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-h9rj-88q7-9jg3

## What is CVE-2014-0496?

CVE-2014-0496 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat, published on 15 Jan 2014. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 10.x before 10.1.9 and 11.x before 11.0.06 on Windows and Mac OS X allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2014-0496?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Adobe Acrobat.

## How do I fix CVE-2014-0496?

No fix has been published for CVE-2014-0496 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 24 Mar 2022.

## Is CVE-2014-0496 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2014-0496 in the wild since at least 3 Mar 2022.

## Other vulnerabilities in Adobe Acrobat

- [CVE-2021-28550](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-28550/): Adobe Acrobat and Reader Use-After-Free (critical 9.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-21017](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-21017/): Adobe Acrobat and Reader Heap-based Buffer Overflow (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2014-0546](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-0546/): Adobe Reader and Acrobat Sandbox Bypass (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-3346](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-3346/): Adobe Reader and Acrobat Memory Corruption (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2729](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2729/): Adobe Reader and Acrobat Arbitrary Integer Overflow (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2014-0496 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2014-0496 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat, published on 15 Jan 2014. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2014-0496 in the wild since at least 3 Mar 2022.

Affected product: Adobe Acrobat. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-0496/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-0496/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2014-0496
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-0496
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2014-0496

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-0496/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.