Vulnerability Snapshot
CVE-2016-6965 is rated CRITICAL โ exploitation is trivial or already observed in the wild and impact is severe. Patch immediately, not on the next maintenance window.
Affected technology: mac_os_x, windows, acrobat, acrobat_dc, acrobat_reader_dc, plus 1 other product variants.
Executive Summary
Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat before 11.0.18, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 15.006.30243, and Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Continuous before 15.020.20039 on Windows and OS X allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-1089, CVE-2016-1091, CVE-2016-6944, CVE-2016-6945, CVE-2016-6946, CVE-2016-6949, CVE-2016-6952, CVE-2016-6953, CVE-2016-6961, CVE-2016-6962, CVE-2016-6963, CVE-2016-6964, CVE-2016-6967, CVE-2016-6968, CVE-2016-6969, CVE-2016-6971, CVE-2016-6979, CVE-2016-6988, and CVE-2016-6993.
Why It Matters
CVE-2016-6965 is rated CRITICAL severity, requiring immediate attention from security teams.
CVSS Base Score: 9.8/10
Affected Technologies
Vendors: apple, microsoft, adobe
Products: mac_os_x, windows, acrobat, acrobat_dc, acrobat_reader_dc, reader
๐ก๏ธWhat Defenders Should Check
Use Vulnios to continuously monitor your exposure to CVE-2016-6965 and similar vulnerabilities.
References & Sources
How Vulnios Detects This
Vulnios scans for this vulnerability using KEV cross-check that flags any host where this CVE is already on CISA's exploited list. Run a scan against your environment to see whether you are exposed; findings are linked back to the original CVE record so triage starts with the patch path already known.
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Affected Products
Sources
Related Threat Alerts
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2016-6959 โ apple, microsoft โ mac_os_x, windows
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2016-6950 โ apple, microsoft โ mac_os_x, windows
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2016-6955 โ apple, microsoft โ mac_os_x, windows
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2016-6949 โ apple, microsoft โ mac_os_x, windows
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2016-6969 โ apple, microsoft โ mac_os_x, windows
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2016-6977 โ apple, microsoft โ mac_os_x, windows
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2016-6965?
CVE-2016-6965 is a critical-severity vulnerability tracked under the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures program. Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat before 11.0.18, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 15.006.30243, and Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Continuous before 15.020.20039 on
Am I affected?
Check whether your environment runs mac_os_x, windows, acrobat, acrobat_dc, acrobat_reader_dc. If you operate any of those, treat yourself as in scope until you have evidence otherwise. A Vulnios scan will identify the exact assets carrying the affected version.
How urgent is the response?
Critical: do not wait for your normal patch cycle. Verify exposure today, apply the vendor patch immediately, and add detection rules for any post-exploit indicators.
How do I remediate?
Apply the vendor patch listed in the upstream advisory linked under Sources. If the patch is not yet available, follow the vendor-supplied workaround (often a config flag or feature disable) and add detections for the published exploit pattern in your SIEM. Re-scan after the patch lands to confirm the finding clears.
Where can I track exploitation activity?
Watch CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog for CVE-2016-6965. Cross-reference with public exploit databases and your own SIEM/IDS for indicator-of-compromise patterns. Vulnios tracks KEV status automatically and surfaces it on the asset findings view.
How does Vulnios help with this?
Vulnios continuously cross-references your asset inventory against the live CVE feed (NVD, vendor advisories, CISA KEV, and curated OSINT). When a new CVE matches your environment, you get a prioritized finding with the severity, KEV status, exploit-prediction (EPSS), and a direct path to the vendor patch. You can start a free scan from the homepage.
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