CVE-2020-10892
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 affected installations of Foxit PhantomPDF 9.7.0.29478. 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 communication API. The issue lies in the handling of the CombineFiles command, which allows an arbitrary file write with attacker controlled data. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-9830.
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 confidenceFoxit PhantomPDF versions prior to the patch contain a vulnerability in the communication API's CombineFiles command. This command improperly handles file operations, allowing an attacker to write arbitrary files with attacker-controlled data. Successful exploitation enables remote code execution within 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<= 9.7.1.29511<= 9.7.1.29511CVSS 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:3.1/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 PhantomPDF or Reader is installedLook for Foxit software in the Windows Registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Foxit Software\ (or HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\ for 64-bit systems), or check for installation folders in Program Files or Program Files (x86).Affected if Foxit PhantomPDF or Reader is found on the system.
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Determine the installed version of Foxit PhantomPDFQuery the registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Foxit Software\Foxit PhantomPDF\Install\Version or read the version info from the executable at the installation path (e.g., Foxit PhantomPDF.exe).Affected if The version returned is less than or equal to 9.7.1.29511.
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Determine the installed version of Foxit ReaderQuery the registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Foxit Software\Foxit Reader\Install\Version or read the version info from the executable at the installation path.Affected if The version returned is less than or equal to 9.7.1.29511.
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Verify the CombineFiles API functionality existsCheck that the Foxit PhantomPDF or Reader installation includes the SDK or API components that support the CombineFiles command used in the communication API.Affected if The software includes the CombineFiles functionality and the version is within the affected range.
The system is affected if Foxit PhantomPDF or Reader version 9.7.1.29511 or lower is installed and the CombineFiles command is available in the communication API.
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 the vendor-supplied patch by updating Foxit PhantomPDF to the latest version. Until patched, avoid opening untrusted PDF files or visiting untrusted web pages that could deliver malicious PDF content.
- 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-2020-10892 — 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-2020-10892 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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