CVE-2018-17623
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 · uneditedThis vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable installations of Foxit Reader 9.0.1.5096. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the handling of Link objects. The issue results from the lack of validating the existence of an object prior to performing operations on the object. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-6434.
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 confidenceUse-after-free or null pointer dereference vulnerability in Foxit Reader 9.0.1.5096's handling of Link objects. The code fails to validate the existence of an object before performing operations on it, allowing remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a malicious PDF file or webpage.
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<= 9.2.0.9297<= 9.2.0.9297CVSS 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
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/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.
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Check if Foxit Reader is installedLocate the Foxit Reader executable. Common paths include C:\Program Files\Foxit Software\Foxit Reader\FoxitReader.exe or check Start Menu for Foxit Reader. If installed, note the installation directory.Affected if Foxit Reader is present on the system with a version <= 9.2.0.9297
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Determine installed Foxit Reader versionRight-click the FoxitReader.exe file, select Properties, then navigate to the Details tab to view the Product Version. Alternatively, open Foxit Reader, go to Help > About Foxit Reader to display the version number.Affected if The installed version number is 9.0.1.5096 or any version up to and including 9.2.0.9297
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Check if Foxit PhantomPDF is installedLook for PhantomPDF in the program list at C:\Program Files\Foxit Software\PhantomPDF\PhantomPDF.exe or check Add/Remove Programs for Foxit PhantomPDF.Affected if PhantomPDF is present with a version <= 9.2.0.9297
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Verify JavaScript execution status in FoxitOpen Foxit Reader, go to File > Preferences > JavaScript. Check if JavaScript is enabled or disabled for Foxit.Affected if JavaScript execution is enabled in Foxit (this feature is involved in processing Link objects that trigger the vulnerability)
The environment is affected if Foxit Reader or PhantomPDF version 9.2.0.9297 or lower is installed, and JavaScript processing is enabled when opening a malicious PDF containing crafted Link objects.
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 dataApply vendor patch from Foxit; avoid opening untrusted PDF files; disable JavaScript execution in Foxit Reader as a defense-in-depth measure.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-17623 — 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-2018-17623 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
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