CVE-2016-3740
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 · uneditedHeap-based buffer overflow in the CreateFXPDFConvertor function in ConvertToPdf_x86.dll in Foxit Reader 7.3.4.311 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a large SamplesPerPixel value in a crafted TIFF image that is mishandled during PDF conversion. This is fixed in 8.0.
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 confidenceHeap-based buffer overflow in the CreateFXPDFConvertor function in Foxit Reader's ConvertToPdf_x86.dll allows arbitrary code execution when processing a crafted TIFF image with an oversized SamplesPerPixel value during PDF conversion.
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= 7.3.4.311CVSS 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
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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.
-
Locate Foxit Reader installation directoryNavigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\Foxit Software\Foxit Reader or C:\Program Files\Foxit Software\Foxit Reader and confirm the folder existsAffected if Foxit Reader is not installed in either location
-
Identify installed Foxit Reader versionRight-click on Foxit Reader.exe, select Properties, then view the Details tab to find the Product Version fieldAffected if Product Version shows exactly 7.3.4.311
-
Confirm vulnerable ConvertToPdf_x86.dll existsNavigate to the Foxit Reader installation folder and locate ConvertToPdf_x86.dll - this is the library containing the vulnerable CreateFXPDFConvertor functionAffected if The DLL file exists in the Foxit Reader installation directory
-
Verify PDF conversion feature availabilityOpen Foxit Reader and attempt to access the Convert to PDF feature (File > Convert > Image to PDF) - the vulnerability triggers during TIFF to PDF conversionAffected if The Convert to PDF conversion feature is accessible and functional
A user is affected if Foxit Reader version 7.3.4.311 is installed and the ConvertToPdf_x86.dll with the vulnerable CreateFXPDFConvertor function is present, enabling the heap overflow when processing crafted TIFF images with oversized SamplesPerPixel values.
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 dataUpgrade Foxit Reader to version 8.0 or later to remediate this vulnerability; avoid opening untrusted TIFF files until the upgrade is applied.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 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 $1,376.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-3740 — 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-2016-3740 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