CVE-2025-64787 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE • 12/09/2025
Acrobat Reader versions 24.001.30264, 20.005.30793, 25.001.20982, 24.001.30273, 20.005.30803 and earlier are affected by an Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature vulnerability that could result in a Security feature bypass. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to bypass cryptographic protections and gain limited unauthorized write access. Exploitation of this issue does not require user interaction.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/13/2025
This vulnerability resides within Adobe Acrobat Reader software and represents a critical flaw in the cryptographic signature verification process that undermines fundamental security protections. The affected versions include multiple release branches spanning 2020, 2024, and 2025 iterations, indicating a widespread issue that has persisted across different software releases. The vulnerability classifies as an improper verification of cryptographic signature according to CWE-322, which specifically addresses weaknesses in the validation of digital signatures and certificates. This weakness directly enables a security feature bypass scenario where the application fails to properly authenticate the integrity and origin of signed content, creating a pathway for malicious actors to circumvent intended protections.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate validation mechanisms within the cryptographic signature verification subsystem of Acrobat Reader. When processing signed documents or components, the software does not perform sufficient checks to ensure that digital signatures are genuine and have not been tampered with during transmission or storage. This flaw allows attackers to craft malicious content that appears to be properly signed, thereby tricking the application into accepting compromised signatures as valid. The vulnerability's classification as a bypass issue means that existing cryptographic protections are effectively neutralized without requiring any user interaction or engagement, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited automatically through automated means.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to include limited unauthorized write access capabilities, which represents a significant escalation from the initial bypass condition. This write access permission allows attackers to potentially modify or inject content into documents that should be protected by cryptographic signatures, creating opportunities for data corruption, unauthorized modifications, or the insertion of malicious payloads. The lack of user interaction requirement makes this vulnerability highly attractive to threat actors as it can be exploited through automated attacks without the need for social engineering or user deception. This characteristic aligns with ATT&CK technique T1553.002 for valid code signing certificates, where adversaries can exploit signature verification flaws to bypass security controls.
Organizations utilizing Acrobat Reader across their enterprise environments face substantial risk from this vulnerability, particularly in scenarios involving document processing, digital signature validation, or secure document sharing. The vulnerability's presence across multiple software versions suggests that organizations may have been exposed for extended periods without awareness, potentially allowing attackers to establish persistent access through undetected exploitation. The cryptographic signature bypass creates opportunities for man-in-the-middle attacks, document tampering, and supply chain compromises where legitimate documents are modified without detection. Security teams should consider implementing network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures to address potential compromise scenarios.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate software updates to the latest versions of Acrobat Reader where the cryptographic signature verification has been corrected. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as application whitelisting, network segmentation, and enhanced monitoring of document processing activities. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-322 and its potential exploitation through ATT&CK techniques emphasize the need for comprehensive security measures beyond simple patching. Regular security assessments should be conducted to verify that cryptographic protections are functioning correctly and that no unauthorized modifications have occurred in document processing workflows. Additionally, organizations should review their document handling procedures and implement multi-factor authentication for critical document processing activities to reduce the attack surface associated with this vulnerability.