CVE-2020-27860
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 Reader 10.0.1.35811. 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 processing of XFA templates. 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 data structure. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-11727.
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 buffer overflow vulnerability exists in Foxit Reader's XFA (XML Forms Architecture) template processing. The lack of proper validation of user-supplied data during XFA template parsing allows an attacker to write past the end of an allocated buffer. Successful exploitation requires user interaction (opening a malicious PDF file), and enables arbitrary code execution in 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<= 10.1.0.37527<= 9.7.4.29600>= 10.0.0.0, <= 10.1.0.37527CVSS 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 the installed Foxit productOpen Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, or check the installation directory for either 'Foxit Reader' or 'PhantomPDF'Affected if Either Foxit Reader or PhantomPDF is installed
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Check Foxit Reader versionIn Foxit Reader, go to Help > About Foxit Reader. Compare the version number shown to 10.1.0.37527Affected if Version is 10.1.0.37527 or lower
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Check PhantomPDF versionIn PhantomPDF, go to Help > About PhantomPDF. Compare the version number shown to the affected ranges (9.7.4.29600 or 10.0.0.0 to 10.1.0.37527)Affected if Version falls within 9.7.4.29600, or 10.0.0.0 through 10.1.0.37527
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Verify if XFA functionality is in useCheck if the application processes XFA-based PDF forms. In Foxit Reader/PhantomPDF, go to File > Preferences > Forms. Look for XFA-related settings or examine whether PDF files with XFA templates are commonly openedAffected if XFA form processing is enabled and XFA-based PDF files are opened
You are affected if you have Foxit Reader <= 10.1.0.37527 or PhantomPDF in the listed version ranges, and the application parses XFA template content from PDF files.
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 Reader to a patched version that addresses CVE-2020-27860. Until patched, avoid opening untrusted PDF files and disable XFA functionality if possible through Foxit settings.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-27860 — 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-2020-27860 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
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