CVE-2020-10908
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 handling of the Export command of the communication API. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a type confusion condition. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-9865.
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 type confusion vulnerability exists in Foxit PhantomPDF's communication API Export command handling. The lack of proper validation of user-supplied data allows attackers to trigger type confusion, leading to arbitrary code execution in the context of the current process. Exploitation requires user interaction via a malicious page or 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 Foxit PhantomPDF or Foxit Reader in installed programs (Control Panel > Programs and Features) or look for installation directories under C:\Program Files\Foxit Software or C:\Program Files (x86)\Foxit SoftwareAffected if Either Foxit PhantomPDF or Foxit Reader is present on the system
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Determine installed version numberOpen Foxit Reader or PhantomPDF, then go to Help > About Foxit Reader/PhantomPDF to display the exact version number (e.g., 9.7.1.29511)Affected if Version displayed is at or below 9.7.1.29511
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Compare version against affected rangeCompare your installed version to the affected range: versions 9.7.1.29511 and below are vulnerable. If your version starts with 9.7.1 and the build number is 29511 or lower, you are in the affected range.Affected if Installed version is 9.7.1.29511 or any version below this build
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Assess exposure to untrusted PDF filesDetermine if the user commonly opens PDF files from untrusted sources or visits malicious web pages that could deliver malicious PDF filesAffected if User opens PDF files from untrusted or unknown sources, making exploitation possible through user interaction
If Foxit PhantomPDF or Reader version 9.7.1.29511 or lower is installed and the user opens untrusted PDF files, the environment is affected by this vulnerability.
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 dataAvoid opening untrusted PDF files and update Foxit PhantomPDF to the latest patched version. Disable JavaScript in PDF reader settings as an additional defense-in-depth measure.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing5.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-10908 — 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-2020-10908 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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