CVE-2020-10912
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 SetFieldValue 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-9945.
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 confidenceType confusion vulnerability in Foxit PhantomPDF's SetFieldValue command within the communication API. The lack of proper validation of user-supplied data allows an attacker to trigger type confusion, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution when a user opens a malicious PDF file or visits a malicious webpage that triggers the vulnerable API call.
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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Identify installed Foxit productCheck for Foxit PhantomPDF or Reader installation by reviewing installed programs in Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, or check common installation directories such as C:\Program Files\Foxit Software\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Foxit Software\Affected if Either Foxit PhantomPDF or Foxit Reader is present on the system
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Determine installed versionRight-click the Foxit PhantomPDF or Reader executable (typically FoxitReader.exe or PhantomPDF.exe) in the installation folder, select Properties, and view the File Version on the Details tab. Alternatively, run the executable with --version or -version command-line argument if supportedAffected if The displayed version number is 9.7.1.29511 or any earlier version
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Compare against vulnerable version rangeParse the installed version number and compare numerically against 9.7.1.29511, noting that the affected range includes all versions less than or equal to this release versionAffected if The installed version is 9.7.1.29511 or lower (e.g., 9.7.0.x, 9.6.x, earlier major versions)
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Verify communication API module presenceConfirm that the Foxit PhantomPDF or Reader installation includes the communication API component (fdAPI or similar modules in the installation directory), as the SetFieldValue command vulnerability exists within this APIAffected if The communication API module is present and the version is within the affected range
A user is affected if Foxit PhantomPDF or Reader version 9.7.1.29511 or any earlier version is installed, regardless of whether the communication API module is actively used.
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 PhantomPDF to the latest vendor-released version containing the patch for this vulnerability. Until patched, avoid opening untrusted PDF files or visiting suspicious webpages.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-10912 — 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-2020-10912 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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