CVE-2020-10904
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 9.7.1.29511. 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 U3D objects in PDF files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a write past the end of an allocated object. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-10464.
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 is a buffer overflow vulnerability in Foxit PhantomPDF's handling of U3D (Universal 3D) objects embedded in PDF files. The lack of proper validation of user-supplied data when processing U3D objects allows an attacker to write past the end of an allocated buffer, achieving arbitrary code execution in the context of the current process. Exploitation requires the target user to open a maliciously crafted PDF file.
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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/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 PhantomPDF or Reader is installedCheck for installation in common paths: C:\Program Files\Foxit Software\Foxit PhantomPDF\ or C:\Program Files\Foxit Software\Foxit Reader\, or query the Windows Registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for Foxit entriesAffected if Foxit PhantomPDF or Reader software is present on the system
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Obtain installed version numberRight-click the Foxit executable (FoxitPhantomPDF.exe or FoxitReader.exe), select Properties, and read the File Version field under the Details tab. Alternatively, query the Windows Registry value DisplayVersion under the uninstall key for the installed Foxit productAffected if Version cannot be determined or retrieved
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Compare version against affected rangeCompare the installed version to 9.7.1.29511. If the version is 9.7.1.29511 or lower (e.g., 9.7.0.x, 9.6.x, earlier), the installation is within the affected range. Note that version format may display as 9.7.1.29511 or similarAffected if Installed version is less than or equal to 9.7.1.29511
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Confirm U3D object processing capability existsThis vulnerability exists in the core U3D parsing component of Foxit PhantomPDF and Reader. The affected component is built into the software and processes U3D objects embedded in any PDF file when opened. No additional plugins or features need to be enabledAffected if Software processes PDF files containing U3D 3D objects - this is default behavior when opening such PDFs
If Foxit PhantomPDF or Reader version 9.7.1.29511 or lower is installed, the environment is vulnerable to CVE-2020-10904 when processing PDF files containing malicious U3D 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 the vendor patch or upgrade Foxit PhantomPDF to the latest version. As a defense-in-depth measure, instruct users not to open untrusted or unexpected PDF files from unknown sources.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-10904 — 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-2020-10904 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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