CVE-2018-17628
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 9.2.0.9297. 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 XFA setInterval method. 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-6458.
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 · moderate confidenceThis is a use-after-free vulnerability in Foxit Reader's XFA (XML Forms Architecture) setInterval method. The code fails to validate object existence before performing operations, allowing an attacker who tricks a user into opening a malicious PDF to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process.
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.
-
Confirm Foxit product installationCheck for Foxit Reader or PhantomPDF in the Windows registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall or look for the application in C:\Program Files\Foxit SoftwareAffected if Either Foxit Reader or PhantomPDF is installed
-
Identify installed versionRight-click the main executable (FoxitReader.exe or PhantomPDF.exe), select Properties, and check the File Version field; alternatively, query the registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{GUID}\DisplayVersion for the installed Foxit productAffected if The displayed version is 9.2.0.9297 or any version lower than 9.2.0.9297
-
Locate XFA configuration settingOpen Foxit Reader, go to File > Preferences > Forms; alternatively, check the Windows registry under HKCU\Software\Foxit Software\Foxit Reader\Preferences for a key named "bEnableXFA" or similar XFA-related entryAffected if XFA forms support is enabled (the bEnableXFA registry value is set to 1 or the Forms preference shows XFA forms as active)
-
Determine exploitability contextAssess whether the user frequently opens PDF files from untrusted or unknown sources, as exploitation requires tricking the user into opening a maliciously crafted PDFAffected if The user opens PDF files from untrusted sources while using a vulnerable version with XFA enabled
You are affected if Foxit Reader or PhantomPDF version 9.2.0.9297 or lower is installed AND XFA (XML Forms Architecture) functionality is enabled in the application settings.
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 the vendor's patched version. Until then, disable XFA functionality in Reader settings and avoid opening PDF files from untrusted sources.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing5.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,752.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-17628 — 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-2018-17628 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