# CVE-2026-81996: Acrobat Reader | Incorrect Authorization (CWE-863)

CVE-2026-81996 is fixed in 2 products on 2 platforms, first by Adobe Acrobat Reader DC 26.002.21901, released September 7, 2026. 1 other affected product has no fix yet. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: High.

- Web page: https://patchblox.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-81996
- Priority: High
- CVSS: 8.8
- EPSS: 0.0024
- CISA KEV: not listed
- Exploited (vendor report): no
- Publicly disclosed: no
- Published: Sep 8, 2026
- Weakness: CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization (CWE-863)
- Vendor advisory: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-81996

## Description

Acrobat Reader is affected by an Incorrect Authorization vulnerability that could result in privilege escalation. A low-privileged attacker could exploit this vulnerability to gain elevated access. Exploitation of this issue does not require user interaction. Scope is changed.

## Where it's fixed

| Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows apps | Adobe Acrobat Reader DC | 26.002.21901 | [Adobe Acrobat Reader DC 26.002.21901](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/windows-app/adobe.acrobat.reader.32-bit-26.002.21901.md) | Sep 7, 2026 |
| Windows apps | Adobe Acrobat Reader DC (64-bit) | 26.002.21901 | [Adobe Acrobat Reader DC (64-bit) 26.002.21901](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/windows-app/adobe.acrobat.reader.64-bit-26.002.21901.md) | Sep 7, 2026 |

## No fix yet

| Platform | Product | Status |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | Adobe Acrobat Reader | no-fix |

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Data as of 2026-11-08T06:59:42Z UTC. Source: Patchblox Patch Radar (https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar). Patchblox finds out-of-date software on Windows, macOS and Linux and updates it through release rings: https://patchblox.com/demo

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