CVE-2013-3485
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 · uneditedMultiple untrusted search path vulnerabilities in Soda PDF 5.1.183.10520 allow local users to gain privileges via a Trojan horse (1) dwmapi.dll or (2) api-ms-win-core-localregistry-l1-1-0.dll file in the current working directory.
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 confidenceSoda PDF 5.1.183.10520 contains untrusted search path vulnerabilities where the application loads DLL files from the current working directory before checking system paths. Attackers can place malicious dwmapi.dll or api-ms-win-core-localregistry-l1-1-0.dll files in the same directory where the application runs, causing the application to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges.
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= 5.1.183.10520CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- M
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:L/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.
-
Check installed Soda PDF versionOpen Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, or right-click the Soda PDF executable > Properties > Details tab. Look for version information.Affected if The installed version is exactly 5.1.183.10520
-
Locate the Soda PDF executable directoryFind the path where soda pdf.exe is installed. Common locations: C:\Program Files\Soda PDF or C:\Program Files (x86)\Soda PDF.Affected if You cannot determine the installation directory or the executable exists in an untrusted location
-
Inspect for suspicious DLL files in the application directoryOpen the Soda PDF installation folder in File Explorer and check if dwmapi.dll or api-ms-win-core-localregistry-l1-1-0.dll files are present.Affected if Either dwmapi.dll or api-ms-win-core-localregistry-l1-1-0.dll exists in the same folder as soda pdf.exe and you did not intentionally place it there
-
Verify current working directory when launchingLaunch Soda PDF and note the directory from which you right-clicked or launched it. Check if that directory contains the executable or if you are running from a network share or downloads folder.Affected if You launch Soda PDF by double-clicking from a directory that also contains the executable, or from a directory writable by other users
You are affected if Soda PDF version 5.1.183.10520 is installed AND malicious DLL files (dwmapi.dll or api-ms-win-core-localregistry-l1-1-0.dll) exist in the application directory or the directory from which you launch the application.
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.
From vendor dataAvoid running Soda PDF from untrusted or shared directories. Ensure the application directory is secured and not writable by unprivileged users. Apply any vendor patches if available.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2013-3485 — 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-2013-3485 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- 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