CVE-2018-21239
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 · uneditedAn issue was discovered in Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF before 9.2. It allows NTLM credential theft via a GoToE or GoToR action.
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 confidenceThis vulnerability in Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF versions before 9.2 allows attackers to steal NTLM credentials by embedding GoToE (GoTo Embedded) or GoToR (GoTo Remote) actions in malicious PDF files. When a user opens such a PDF, the viewer automatically attempts to authenticate to an attacker-controlled server via NTLM, leaking the user's credential hash.
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< 9.2CVSS 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
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
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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Identify if Foxit Reader or PhantomPDF is installedCheck Program Files (x86)\Foxit Software or Program Files\Foxit Software for Foxit Reader or PhantomPDF folders. Alternatively, open Windows Settings > Apps & Features and search for 'Foxit' to confirm installation.Affected if Either Foxit Reader or PhantomPDF is present on the system
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Determine the installed version of Foxit ReaderNavigate to the Foxit Reader installation folder (typically C:\Program Files\Foxit Software\Foxit Reader or C:\Program Files (x86)\Foxit Software\Foxit Reader), right-click on FoxitReader.exe, select Properties, and check the Details tab for the Product Version.Affected if The displayed version number is lower than 9.2 (for example, 9.1, 9.0, or earlier)
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Determine the installed version of PhantomPDFNavigate to the PhantomPDF installation folder (typically C:\Program Files\Foxit Software\PhantomPDF or C:\Program Files (x86)\Foxit Software\PhantomPDF), right-click on PhantomPDF.exe, select Properties, and check the Details tab for the Product Version.Affected if The displayed version number is lower than 9.2 (for example, 9.1, 9.0, or earlier)
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Alternative version check via application About dialogLaunch Foxit Reader or PhantomPDF, click Help > About Foxit Reader (or About PhantomPDF) to display the version information in the dialog that appears.Affected if The version shown is less than 9.2
You are affected if Foxit Reader or PhantomPDF is installed and its version is any release before 9.2.
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 data9.2
Update Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF to version 9.2 or later. Additionally, consider disabling NTLM authentication or implementing network-level protections to block unauthorized NTLM authentication requests.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-21239 — 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-2018-21239 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data