CVE-2012-4337
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedFoxit Reader before 5.3 on Windows XP and Windows 7 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a PDF document with a crafted attachment that triggers calculation of a negative number during processing of cross references.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceFoxit Reader before 5.3 contains a buffer overflow or integer underflow vulnerability in its PDF cross-reference processing. A specially crafted PDF with a malicious attachment triggers a negative number calculation during cross-reference handling, leading to memory corruption that enables arbitrary code execution.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data<= 5.1.4.0104= 2.0= 2.3= 3.0= 3.1.2.1013= 3.1.2.1030= 3.2.0.0303= 3.2.1.0401= 4.0= 4.0.0.0619= 4.1= 4.1.1.0805CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- M
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check if Foxit Reader is installedInspect the Windows registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall or HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for entries with 'Foxit Reader' in the DisplayName, or look for Foxit Reader in Program Files (x86)\Foxit Software or C:\Program Files\Foxit SoftwareAffected if No Foxit Reader installation found means the system is not affected by this specific vulnerability
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Identify the installed Foxit Reader versionCheck the registry value 'DisplayVersion' in the same Foxit Reader uninstall key found in the previous step, or right-click the Foxit Reader executable (usually FoxitReader.exe) in the installation folder and view Properties > Details to find the FileVersionAffected if The detected version matches one listed in the affected versions: 2.0, 2.3, 3.0, 3.1.2.1013, 3.1.2.1030, 3.2.0.0303, 3.2.1.0401, 4.0, 4.0.0.0619, 4.1, 4.1.1.0805, or any version <= 5.1.4.0104
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Verify the vulnerability trigger conditionThe flaw resides in PDF cross-reference parsing. A vulnerable version of Foxit Reader must be used to open a PDF file. The vulnerability is triggered when processing a malicious PDF containing a specially crafted cross-reference table with negative number valuesAffected if A vulnerable Foxit Reader version (as determined in step 2) is used to open a specially crafted PDF file containing the malicious cross-reference structure
A system is affected if it has Foxit Reader version 5.1.4.0104 or earlier (including 2.0 through 4.1.1.0805) installed and uses it to open untrusted PDF files.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scopedUpgrade Foxit Reader to version 5.3 or later to obtain the vendor patch. Remove or restrict execution of untrusted PDF files until the upgrade is deployed.
Foxit Reader 5.3 or later
- Back up any important PDF files and settings from your current Foxit Reader installation
- Navigate to the official Foxit software website (www.foxitsoftware.com)
- Download Foxit Reader version 5.3 or later (preferably the latest stable version)
- Run the installer and follow the on-screen prompts to upgrade Foxit Reader
- Restart your computer if prompted by the installer
- Verify the installed version by opening Foxit Reader and checking Help > About Foxit Reader
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2012-4337 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2012-4337 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data