SecPod

Learn Search

Search across all Learn content

← Back to Security Research
Adobe Critical Security Updates March 2020

Adobe Critical Security Updates March 2020

Mar 17, 2020By Vidita V Koushik3 min read

Adobe released a security update for the widely used Acrobat and Reader. This Adobe security bulletin includes a total of 13 CVEs, 9 of which are known to be criticalsecurity fixes for arbitrary code execution vulnerabilities found using a vulnerability scanning tool. The exploitation of other vulnerabilities could lead to the disclosure of sensitive information and grant elevated privileges to an attacker.

The critical code execution vulnerabilities in Acrobat and Reader are:

  • CVE-2020-3795 : Out-of-bounds write
  • CVE-2020-3799 : Stack-based buffer overflow
  • CVE-2020-3792, CVE-2020-3793, CVE-2020-3801, CVE-2020-3802, CVE-2020-3805 : Use-after-free errors
  • CVE-2020-3807 : Buffer overflow
  • CVE-2020-3797 : Memory corruption

A malicious user could abuse the most severe of these vulnerabilities to gain control of an affected system in certain cases. An attacker could install applications; view, change or delete data; create new accounts or delete existing accounts and elevate the existing privileges of a compromised user to launch further attacks. Also, A patch management tool can patch these vulnerabilities. The initial entry point of attackers into target systems could be through spear-phishing emails or crafted websites hosting malicious PDF documents.

Update:

The tech giant has released security updates for five other products namely Adobe Genuine Integrity Service, PhotoShop, Experience Manager, ColdFusion and Bridge. Also, Twenty critical vulnerabilities have been fixed in these products.

Critical Vulnerabilities

The critical vulnerabilities were identified and fixed in Adobe Photoshop, ColdFusion , and Adobe Bridge. Adobe Photoshop contained the highest number of critical bugs in this set of updates, all allowing execution of arbitrary code. However, These critical security holes in Adobe Photoshop were caused due to heap and memory corruption issues, out-of-bounds write issues and other buffer errors. 

The issues which contributed to critical arbitrary code execution vulnerabilities in Adobe Bridge were out-of-bounds write and heap-based buffer overflow errors. In Adobe ColdFusion, the critical remote file read vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access of arbitrary files from the Coldfusion install directory, whereas, another critical file inclusion vulnerability could lead to arbitrary code execution of files located in the webroot or its subdirectory.

Few other important vulnerabilities

Adobe Genuine Integrity Service suffers from a privilege escalation vulnerability due to insecure file permissions in the software. Six CVEs in Adobe Photoshop are related to an out-of-bounds read issue which could lead to disclosure of sensitive information. Another sensitive information disclosure issue was identified in Adobe Experience Manager due to a server-side request forgery (SSRF).

We strongly recommend users of Adobe products to install the security updates as soon as possible.

Adobe Security Bulletin Summary for March 2020:

  1. Product: Adobe Acrobat and ReaderCVE’s/Advisory: APSB20-13, CVE-2020-3804, CVE-2020-3806, CVE-2020-3795, CVE-2020-3799, CVE-2020-3792, CVE-2020-3793, CVE-2020-3801, CVE-2020-3802, CVE-2020-3805, CVE-2020-3800, CVE-2020-3807, CVE-2020-3797 and then CVE-2020-3803Severity: CriticalImpact: Arbitrary code execution, Information Disclosure, Privilege Escalation

2. Product : Adobe Genuine Integrity ServiceCVE’s/Advisory : APSB20-12, CVE-2020-3766Severity : ImportantImpact : Privilege Escalation

3. Product : Adobe PhotoshopCVE’s/Advisory : APSB20-14, CVE-2020-3783, CVE-2020-3784, CVE-2020-3785, CVE-2020-3786, CVE-2020-3787, CVE-2020-3788, CVE-2020-3789 and then CVE-2020-3790Severity : CriticalImpact : Arbitrary Code Execution, Information Disclosure,

4. Product : Adobe Experience ManagerCVE’s/Advisory : APSB20-15, CVE-2020-3769Severity : ImportantImpact : Sensitive Information Disclosure

5. Product : Adobe ColdFusionCVE’s/Advisory : APSB20-16, CVE-2020-3761 and then CVE-2020-3794Severity : CriticalImpact : Arbitrary file read, Arbitrary code execution

6. Product : Adobe BridgeCVE’s/Advisory : APSB20-17, CVE-2020-9551, CVE-2020-9552Severity : CriticalImpact : Arbitrary code execution

Also, SanerNow detects these vulnerabilities and automatically fixes them by applying security updates. Furthermore, Download SanerNow and keep your systems updated and secure.

Featured Posts

Open Beyond GitLab's Critical RCE: What CVE-2026-97229 Reveals About Exploitation, Patch Gaps, and Security Response
vulnerability researchBeyond GitLab's Critical RCE: What CVE-2026-97229 Reveals About Exploitation, Patch Gaps, and Security Response

CVE Research

Beyond GitLab's Critical RCE: What CVE-2026-97229 Reveals About Exploitation, Patch Gaps, and Security Response

Nov 6, 2026

Open Gorbag Targets Ukrainian Organizations with BeautyStealer and WinRAR Exploitation
malware researchGorbag Targets Ukrainian Organizations with BeautyStealer and WinRAR Exploitation

CVE Research

Gorbag Targets Ukrainian Organizations with BeautyStealer and WinRAR Exploitation

Gorbag uses spearphishing and weaponized WinRAR archives to deploy BeautyStealer against Ukrainian organizations. The malware steals browser credentials, VPN configuration files, and targeted documents before exfiltrating the data and deleting itself.

Nov 5, 2026

Open Synology NAS Under Siege: C3RB3R Ransomware Strikes Unpatched Devices
vulnerability researchSynology NAS Under Siege: C3RB3R Ransomware Strikes Unpatched Devices

CVE Research

Synology NAS Under Siege: C3RB3R Ransomware Strikes Unpatched Devices

Synology has warned customers about an ongoing wave of ransomware attacks targeting network-attached storage (NAS) devices running outdated versions of DiskStation Manager (DSM). The attacks have been associated with C3RB3R ransomware, a threat capable of encrypting stored files and demanding payment for their recovery.

Nov 4, 2026

Open October 2026 Threat Activity: Exploitation of CISA KEV-Listed CVEs
threat intelligenceOctober 2026 Threat Activity: Exploitation of CISA KEV-Listed CVEs

CVE Research

October 2026 Threat Activity: Exploitation of CISA KEV-Listed CVEs

Nov 4, 2026