Home/CVE/Adobe Reader and Acrobat before 11.0.16, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 15.006.30172, and Acrobat and Acro
CVE
CVE-2016-1042
Adobe Reader and Acrobat before 11.0.16, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 15.006.30172, and Acrobat and Acro
Adobe Reader and Acrobat before 11.0.16, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 15.006.30172, and Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Continuous before 15.016.20039 on Windows and OS X allow attackers to bypass JavaScript API execution restrictions via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-1038, CVE-2016-1039, CVE-2016-1040, CVE-2016-1041, CVE-2016-1044, CVE-2016-1062, and CVE-2016-1117.
CRITICAL · CVSS 9.8
EPSS 0.00939
Act now
- Public exploit or PoC is available
- CVSS base score ≥ 7.0
Sigma rules8
YARA rules0
Look this up elsewhere - one-click external pivots
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How to read a CVE - triage first, then detect and patch
This page is every public fact about CVE-2016-1042, cross-linked. Its job is to answer one question fast - does this need my attention now? - and then hand you the two things you do about it. Here is how an analyst reads it.
Triage: should I act now? Four signals, and they are not interchangeable:
CVSSseverity - how bad it is IF exploited, 0-10. A high CVSS alone is not urgency; a flaw can be a perfect 10 and never actually be attacked.
EPSSprobability - a model’s estimate of the chance it is exploited in the next 30 days, 0-1. This is the “will it actually happen” signal.
CISA KEVconfirmed - it is being exploited in the wild right now. The strongest signal on the page; KEV beats any score.
Weaponisedavailability - public exploits / PoCs, and especially Metasploit modules rated Excellent / Great. Reliable, packaged exploit code means low-skill attackers can use it today.
How they combine: KEV, or a dependable Metasploit module, means patch now regardless of CVSS. High CVSS + low EPSS + no exploit is real but not an emergency - schedule it. Low CVSS but KEV-listed still gets patched now. The verdict above already weighed these for you; this is how it got there.
Then what - two workflows:
Detectwhen you cannot patch today, follow this CVE to the ATT&CK techniques it enables, then Build a SIEM detection (the green button) - author a rule, test it in Atomic, deploy it. That buys visibility while the patch waits.
PatchAffected products / packages tell you if you are exposed; Fixed versions by distribution and Vendor advisories give the exact version that closes it.
Reading order for the panels below: verdict + badges, then Public exploits / Metasploit (is it weaponised), then ATT&CK techniques + Sigma / IDS rules (can I detect it), then Affected products / packages + Fixed versions (am I exposed, what patches it), then Threat actors / IOCs (who uses it), then Scoring & timeline / references (the evidence).
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ATT&CK techniques
20Techniques this CVE enables - linked via CWECAPECATT&CK. High◆ = named directly in ATT&CK or Nuclei templates.
T1014 · Rootkit T1027.009 · Embedded Payloads T1037 · Boot or Logon Initialization Scripts T1080 · Taint Shared Content T1505.005 · Terminal Services DLL T1542.003 · Bootkit T1543 · Create or Modify System Process T1543.001 · Launch Agent T1543.003 · Windows Service T1543.004 · Launch Daemon T1546.001 · Change Default File Association T1546.004 · Unix Shell Configuration Modification T1546.008 · Accessibility Features T1546.016 · Installer Packages T1547 · Boot or Logon Autostart Execution T1547.006 · Kernel Modules and Extensions T1553.004 · Install Root Certificate T1556.006 · Multi-Factor Authentication T1562.001 · Disable or Modify Tools T1562.002 · Disable Windows Event Logging
▤ Build a SIEM detection for these techniques
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CAPEC attack patterns
12Attack patterns this CVE enables - the bridge from weakness to ATT&CK technique.
CAPEC-CAPEC-19 · Embedding Scripts within Scripts CAPEC-CAPEC-441 · Malicious Logic Insertion CAPEC-CAPEC-478 · Modification of Windows Service Configuration CAPEC-CAPEC-479 · Malicious Root Certificate CAPEC-CAPEC-502 · Intent Spoof CAPEC-CAPEC-503 · WebView Exposure CAPEC-CAPEC-536 · Data Injected During Configuration CAPEC-CAPEC-546 · Incomplete Data Deletion in a Multi-Tenant Environment CAPEC-CAPEC-550 · Install New Service CAPEC-CAPEC-551 · Modify Existing Service CAPEC-CAPEC-552 · Install Rootkit CAPEC-CAPEC-556 · Replace File Extension Handlers
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Weakness Classification
CWE-284Improper Access Control
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Affected Products & Versions
6adobe acrobat<= 11.0.15
adobe acrobat dc<= 15.006.30121
adobe acrobat dc<= 15.010.20060
adobe acrobat reader dc<= 15.006.30121
adobe acrobat reader dc<= 15.010.20060
adobe reader<= 11.0.15
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Public Exploits & PoCs
1These PoC and exploit links come from public sources and are not verified to be safe or functional. Review the code before running anything, and treat unverified entries as untrusted.
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Sigma Hunt Rules
8Exact rules name this CVE ID. Product rules name an affected product in their title. Related rules cover techniques used by actors who exploited this CVE. Showing the most relevant matches; the complete related set is on the full drill-down.
productmediumPotential Suspicious Browser Launch From Document Reader Process
productcriticalHackTool - Windows Credential Editor (WCE) Execution
productcriticalWindows Credential Editor Registry
producthighOpenCanary - MSSQL Login Attempt Via Windows Authentication
producthighWindows LAPS Credential Dump From Entra ID
producthighTamper Windows Defender - PSClassic
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Scoring & Timeline
9.8
CRITICAL · CVSS v3.0 · [email protected]
Attack Vector
Network
Adjacent
Local
Physical
Attack Complexity
Low
High
Privileges Required
None
Low
High
User Interaction
None
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Changed
Confidentiality
None
Low
High
Integrity
None
Low
High
Availability
None
Low
High
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Vendor Advisories
1adobe-psirtAPSB16-14
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References & Sources
3Source URLs (vendor pages, mailing lists, write-ups). Exploit/PoC links are in their own section above to avoid duplication.