# CVE-2026-81978: Adobe Acrobat Reader out-of-bounds read in PDF parsing

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-81978-adobe-acrobat-reader-out-of-bounds-read-in-pdf-parsing  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-09-08. Updated: 2026-09-26  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-81978 · Severity: medium · CVSS 5.5 · Published 2026-09-08

Adobe Acrobat Reader is widely used to view and edit PDF documents in corporate and consumer environments. This vulnerability allows an attacker to read sensitive data from the application's memory by crafting a malicious PDF file; a victim must open the file for the attack to succeed. An attacker could exploit this to extract confidential information such as passwords, encryption keys, or other sensitive data stored in memory.

Technologies: [Adobe Acrobat](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/acrobat), [Adobe Acrobat Reader](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/acrobat-reader), [Adobe Acrobat Dc](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/acrobat-dc), [Adobe Acrobat Reader Dc](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/acrobat-reader-dc), [Apple macOS](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/macos), [Microsoft Windows](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/windows). Vendors: [Adobe](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/adobe), [Apple](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/apple), [Microsoft](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/microsoft).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-81978 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-81978 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-81978?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 5.5, published 8 September 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Adobe Acrobat Reader <UNKNOWN>.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-81978?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-81978 attacked?** It is attacked over the network.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-81978?** Check whether you run Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Adobe Acrobat Dc or one of the others listed at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

This is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Adobe Acrobat Reader's PDF parsing engine. The vulnerability is triggered when the application processes a specially crafted PDF file, allowing an attacker to read memory beyond allocated buffer boundaries. The attack requires user interaction—a victim must open or view a malicious PDF document. Successful exploitation can lead to information disclosure from the application's memory space. No patch details are available from the provided advisory content.

## Affected products

- Adobe Acrobat Reader <UNKNOWN>

## Timeline

- 2026-09-08: disclosed

## References

- [https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb26-141.html](https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb26-141.html)

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