CVE-2018-17641
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 handling of the deleteItem method of a TimeField. 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-6478.
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 confidenceA use-after-free or null pointer dereference vulnerability in Foxit Reader's TimeField deleteItem method allows remote code execution. The code fails to validate object existence before performing operations on it, enabling an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process via a maliciously crafted 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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Verify Foxit product installationCheck for Foxit Reader or PhantomPDF executables. Common paths: C:\Program Files\Foxit Software\Foxit Reader\FoxitReader.exe or C:\Program Files\Foxit Software\PhantomPDF\PhantomPDF.exe. Also check Add/Remove Programs for installed Foxit applications.Affected if Foxit Reader or PhantomPDF is installed on the system
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Determine installed Foxit versionRight-click the Foxit Reader.exe or PhantomPDF.exe file, select Properties, then go to the Details tab to view the Product version field. Alternatively, open Foxit and go to Help > About Foxit Reader to see the version number.Affected if The version number is 9.2.0.9297 or lower
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Confirm version matches affected rangeCompare your installed version against the affected range: versions 9.2.0.9297 and below are vulnerable. Version 9.2.0.9297 itself is included in the affected range.Affected if Installed version is less than or equal to 9.2.0.9297
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Check JavaScript execution settingIn Foxit Reader, go to Edit > Preferences > JavaScript. Verify if JavaScript is enabled. This setting affects the exploitability of this vulnerability through malicious PDF files.Affected if JavaScript is enabled in Foxit Reader preferences
You are affected if Foxit Reader or PhantomPDF is installed with version 9.2.0.9297 or lower, and the TimeField deleteItem method vulnerability can be triggered particularly when JavaScript is enabled in 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 dataUpdate Foxit Reader to the vendor's patched version. Avoid opening PDF files from untrusted sources and disable JavaScript execution in Foxit Reader settings if not required.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-17641 — 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-2018-17641 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
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