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HighCISA KEVExploited in the wildPublic exploit

Adobe Reader and Acrobat CoolType.dll SING Table Buffer Overflow

IdentifiersCVE-2010-2883CWE-121

CVE-2010-2883 is a stack-based buffer overflow in CoolType.dll, the font parsing component used by Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat. The flaw affects Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.x before 9.4 and 8.x before 8.2.5 on Windows and Mac OS X. The vulnerability is triggered when the application parses a malformed TrueType font embedded in a PDF document, specifically a long field in a Smart INdependent Glyphlets (SING) table. A specially crafted PDF can corrupt stack memory during font processing, leading to application crash or arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability was reported as exploited in the wild in September 2010.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation can allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code in the security context of the user opening the malicious PDF. In practical terms, this can result in full compromise of the affected workstation, including malware installation, data theft, and follow-on access using the victim's privileges. If code execution is not achieved, the flaw can still be used to cause a denial of service via application crash.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

Until patching is completed, avoid opening untrusted or unsolicited PDF files. Disable PDF rendering in web browsers and prevent Internet Explorer or other browsers from automatically opening PDF documents. Disable JavaScript in Adobe Reader and Acrobat where operationally feasible. Use exploit mitigations such as Microsoft's EMET on supported Windows systems to reduce exploit reliability.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Upgrade Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat to a fixed release: 9.4 or later for the 9.x branch, or 8.2.5 or later for the 8.x branch. Applying Adobe's security update for APSB10-21 remediates the vulnerable CoolType.dll font parsing condition.
PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

1 valid exploit after Mallory filtered fakes, detection scripts, and README-only repos.

VALID 1 / 1 TOTALView more in app
CVE-2010-2883MaturityPoCFrameworkmetasploitVerified exploit

This repository contains a Metasploit exploit module targeting CVE-2010-2883, a stack buffer overflow in the SING table handling of Adobe Reader (versions 8.2.4 and 9.3.4, Windows). The main file, 'adobe_cooltype_sing_EMETBypass_calc.rb', is a Ruby Metasploit module that generates a malicious PDF file ('msf.pdf') containing a specially crafted TrueType font ('cve-2010-2883.ttf') to trigger the vulnerability. The exploit uses advanced techniques such as heap spraying, ROP chains, and bypasses for DEP/ASLR/EMET mitigations. The payload, defined in 'msf_calc_EMETBypass_payload.asm', is custom shellcode that launches calc.exe, demonstrating arbitrary code execution. The exploit is operational and demonstrates a real-world attack chain, but the payload is hardcoded (calc.exe). The repository is structured with a README, the main Metasploit module, and the assembly payload. No network endpoints are present; the attack vector is a malicious file (PDF) opened by the victim.

avielzechariaDisclosed Sep 22, 2025rubyassemblyfile
EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType
AdobeAcrobatapplication
AdobeAcrobat Readerapplication

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

4 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.

What this page doesn’t show

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Exposure mapping

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Threat actor evidence1

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Associated malware1

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Detection signatures1

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Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity2

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.