How to Fix CVE-2011-0611: Access of resource using incompatible type in acrobat

WARNING: This vulnerability is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2022-03-03). Federal civilian agencies must remediate by 2022-03-24. Treat it as active exploitation, not theoretical.

What is CVE-2011-0611?

Adobe Flash Player before 10.2.154.27 on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Solaris and 10.2.156.12 and earlier on Android; Adobe AIR before 2.6.19140; and Authplay.dll (aka AuthPlayLib.bundle) in Adobe Reader 9.x before 9.4.4 and 10.x through 10.0.1 on Windows, Adobe Reader 9.x before 9.4.4 and 10.x before 10.0.3 on Mac OS X, and Adobe Acrobat 9.x before 9.4.4 and 10.x before 10.0.3 on Windows and Mac OS X allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (application crash) via crafted Flash content; as demonstrated by a Microsoft Office document with an embedded .swf file that has a size inconsistency in a "group of included constants," object type confusion, ActionScript that adds custom functions to prototypes, and Date objects; and as exploited in the wild in April 2011.

Am I affected?

Run the version check that matches your platform:

# Linux
dpkg -s linux-image-generic 2>/dev/null | grep -i version
rpm -q linux-image-generic 2>/dev/null
linux-image-generic --version 2>/dev/null

# Windows
winget list | findstr /I "linux-image-generic"
Get-WmiObject Win32_Product | Where-Object { $_.Name -like "*acrobat*" } | Select-Object Name, Version

# Android: Settings -> About phone -> Android version / Security patch level

Compare what you see against the Affected row above (adobe flash_player 0 to <10.2.154.27; adobe air 0 to <2.6.19140; adobe reader 9.0 to <9.4.4; adobe reader 10.0 to <10.0.3 (and 2 more editions, see vendor advisory)). If your build sits inside that range, you are exposed and should patch.

How to fix CVE-2011-0611

The primary fix is to upgrade acrobat to the patched build. Use the commands for your platform below; the patched versions listed in the vendor advisory are: flash_player 10.2.154.27; air 2.6.19140; reader 9.4.4; reader 10.0.3 (and 2 more SKUs, see vendor advisory).

Ubuntu / Debian

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade linux-image-generic
linux-image-generic --version 2>/dev/null || dpkg -s linux-image-generic | grep -i version

RHEL / CentOS / Rocky / AlmaLinux

sudo dnf upgrade --security linux-image-generic -y
rpm -q linux-image-generic

SUSE / openSUSE

sudo zypper patch --category security
rpm -q linux-image-generic

Windows (PowerShell, run as administrator)

# Check installed version
Get-HotFix | Sort-Object InstalledOn -Descending | Select-Object -First 5

# Apply latest Microsoft security updates (Windows Update)
Install-Module -Name PSWindowsUpdate -Force -SkipPublisherCheck
Import-Module PSWindowsUpdate
Get-WindowsUpdate -MicrosoftUpdate
Install-WindowsUpdate -MicrosoftUpdate -AcceptAll -AutoReboot

# Or via winget for application-level patches
winget upgrade --all --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements

If the affected component is a third-party application, identify the package and run:

winget upgrade --id <vendor.product>

Replace <vendor.product> with the actual winget identifier (run winget search Linux kernel to find it).

Android

Open Settings -> System -> System update -> Check for update on the device, then install the security patch issued by the vendor (OEM or Google). On supported Pixel devices:

# Vendor advisory: http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2011-0451.html
# From a workstation with adb + the OTA package
adb sideload <android-patched-ota>.zip

Complete PowerShell remediation script (Windows)

# Fix script for CVE-2011-0611 affecting Linux kernel
# Run as administrator. Detect -> backup -> upgrade -> verify -> log.

$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
$LogPath  = "C:\Logs\CVE-2011-0611-fix-$(Get-Date -Format yyyyMMdd-HHmmss).log"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force (Split-Path $LogPath) | Out-Null
Start-Transcript -Path $LogPath -Append

try {
    Write-Host "[1/4] Detecting installed version of Linux kernel"
    $pkg = winget list --id "Linux_kernel" 2>$null
    Write-Host $pkg

    Write-Host "[2/4] Backing up configuration"
    $backup = "C:\Backup\Linux_kernel-$(Get-Date -Format yyyyMMdd)"
    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force $backup | Out-Null
    Get-ChildItem "C:\ProgramData\Linux_kernel" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
        Copy-Item -Destination $backup -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

    Write-Host "[3/4] Applying upgrade to flash_player 10.2.154.27; air 2.6.19140; reader 9.4.4; reader 10.0.3 (and 2 m..."
    winget upgrade --id "Linux_kernel" --silent --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements
    # Fallback: Windows Update for OS-level fixes
    if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
        Install-Module -Name PSWindowsUpdate -Force -SkipPublisherCheck -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
        Import-Module PSWindowsUpdate
        Install-WindowsUpdate -MicrosoftUpdate -AcceptAll -IgnoreReboot
    }

    Write-Host "[4/4] Verifying patched build"
    winget list --id "Linux_kernel"
    Write-Host "Fix applied. Reboot if prompted."
    exit 0
} catch {
    Write-Error "Patch failed: $_"
    exit 1
} finally {
    Stop-Transcript
}

Complete Bash remediation script (Linux)

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Fix script for CVE-2011-0611 affecting Linux kernel
# Detect -> backup -> upgrade -> verify -> log.

set -euo pipefail
LOG="/var/log/cve-2011-0611-fix-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).log"
exec > >(tee -a "$LOG") 2>&1

echo "[1/4] Detecting installed version"
if command -v dpkg >/dev/null; then
    dpkg -s linux-image-generic 2>/dev/null | grep -i version || echo "linux-image-generic not installed via dpkg"
elif command -v rpm >/dev/null; then
    rpm -q linux-image-generic || echo "linux-image-generic not installed via rpm"
fi

echo "[2/4] Backing up configuration"
BACKUP="/root/backup-cve-2011-0611-$(date +%Y%m%d)"
mkdir -p "$BACKUP"
for d in /etc/linux-image-generic /etc/linux-image-generic.d /etc/linux-image-generic.conf; do
    [ -e "$d" ] && cp -a "$d" "$BACKUP/" || true
done

echo "[3/4] Applying upgrade (target: flash_player 10.2.154.27; air 2.6.19140; reader 9.4.4; reader 10.0.3 (and 2 m...)"
if command -v apt-get >/dev/null; then
    apt-get update
    apt-get install --only-upgrade -y linux-image-generic
elif command -v dnf >/dev/null; then
    dnf upgrade --security -y linux-image-generic
elif command -v yum >/dev/null; then
    yum update -y linux-image-generic
elif command -v zypper >/dev/null; then
    zypper --non-interactive patch --category security
fi

echo "[4/4] Verifying patched build"
if command -v dpkg >/dev/null; then
    dpkg -s linux-image-generic 2>/dev/null | grep -i version
elif command -v rpm >/dev/null; then
    rpm -q linux-image-generic
fi
echo "Done. Restart any running daemons that loaded the old library."

If you can't patch immediately

If you cannot apply the patched version today, restrict exposure with one of the following runnable controls. None replace the patch.

Network restriction (Linux, nftables)

# Block inbound traffic to the affected service from untrusted networks
sudo nft add table inet filter
sudo nft 'add chain inet filter input { type filter hook input priority 0 ; }'
sudo nft 'add rule inet filter input tcp dport {443, 80} ip saddr != 10.0.0.0/8 drop'
sudo nft list ruleset

Windows firewall isolation

# Allow only management subnet to reach the vulnerable service
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Restrict acrobat" `
    -Direction Inbound -Action Block -RemoteAddress Any `
    -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 443
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Allow Mgmt acrobat" `
    -Direction Inbound -Action Allow -RemoteAddress 10.0.0.0/8 `
    -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 443

Service-level fallback

# If the affected feature is optional, stop the service until the patch is applied
sudo systemctl stop linux-image-generic
sudo systemctl disable linux-image-generic

How to verify the fix worked

# Linux
linux-image-generic --version 2>/dev/null || dpkg -s linux-image-generic | grep -i version
rpm -q linux-image-generic 2>/dev/null || true

# Windows
winget list | findstr /I "linux-image-generic"
Get-HotFix | Sort-Object InstalledOn -Descending | Select-Object -First 5

Expected: the reported version is at or above flash_player 10.2.154.27; air 2.6.19140; reader 9.4.4; reader 10.0.3 (and 2 more SKUs, see vendor advisory). Restart any services that loaded the old library (systemctl restart <service> on Linux, restart the Windows service or reboot when prompted). For network appliances, run show version on the device and confirm the build matches the patched release.

Frequently asked questions

Related fixes

Other vulnerabilities in the same area that are worth patching alongside this one:

• How to Fix CVE-2026-21282: Adobe Commerce | Improper Input Validation (CWE-20) in Adobe Commerce — Adobe Commerce | Improper Input Validation (CWE-20) in Adobe Commerce
• How to Fix CVE-2026-34637: Command Injection in Premiere Pro — Command Injection in Premiere Pro
• How to Fix CVE-2026-27234: Adobe Experience Manager | Cross-site Scripting (Stored XSS) (CWE-79) , Adobe Experience Manager | Cross-site Scripting (Stored XSS) (CWE-79)
• How to Fix CVE-2026-34663: Out-of-Bounds Read in Illustrator , Out-of-Bounds Read in Illustrator
• How to Fix CVE-2013-2729: Integer Overflow in Adobe Reader and Acrobat , Integer Overflow in Adobe Reader and Acrobat

Is CVE-2011-0611 actually being exploited?

According to the data sources above, yes, CISA has it listed as actively exploited. Either way, the fix is the same: apply the vendor patch.

Do I need to reboot after patching?

For OS or kernel updates, yes. For most userland packages a systemctl restart <service> is enough. Any process that loaded the old shared library keeps using it until restarted, so when in doubt, reboot.

What is the CVSS score?

8.8 (high). Refer to the vendor advisory for the exact vector string.

Where is the official advisory?

See the References section at the bottom of this page; the vendor's URL is the authoritative source for affected builds and patched versions.

References

• Official vendor advisory: http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2011-0451.html
• NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-0611
• CISA KEV catalog entry: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
• http://bugix-security.blogspot.com/2011/04/cve-2011-0611-adobe-flash-zero-day.html
• https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A14175
• http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/47314
• http://secunia.com/blog/210/

*Written by Sai Kiran Pandrala. Assembled from the official vendor advisory, NVD record, and CISA KEV listing on 2026-05-25. Always confirm against the vendor's advisory before applying changes in production.*