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ReaderApplication · Foxitsoftware

CVE-2020-8853

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-02-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 9.7.0.29478 or later.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges

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 · unedited
This 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 conversion of HTML files to PDF. 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 structure. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-9591.

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 confidence

A remote code execution vulnerability in Foxit PhantomPDF 9.7.0.29478 exists due to improper validation of user-supplied data during HTML-to-PDF conversion. The flaw allows an attacker to write past the end of an allocated structure by tricking a user into opening a malicious HTML file or visiting a malicious webpage, leading to code execution in the context of the current process.

MitigationUpdate Foxit PhantomPDF to the latest version or apply vendor-supplied patches. Avoid opening untrusted HTML files or visiting untrusted websites until the update is applied.

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
ReaderApplication
Affected:<= 9.7.0.29478
PhantompdfApplication
Affected:<= 9.7.0.29455

CVSS 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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm Foxit Reader or PhantomPDF is installed
    Check installed programs list: Open Control Panel > Programs and Features, or run 'Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | DisplayName' in PowerShell to list installed software
    Affected if Either Foxit Reader or Foxit PhantomPDF appears in the installed programs list
  2. Identify installed Foxit version
    For Foxit Reader: Right-click the application icon, select 'About Foxit Reader' or check Help > About. For PhantomPDF: Right-click the application icon, select 'About PhantomPDF' or check Help > About. The version number displays in the dialog that opens
    Affected if Version listed is 9.7.0.29478 or lower for Reader, or 9.7.0.29455 or lower for PhantomPDF
  3. Verify HTML-to-PDF conversion is accessible
    Open Foxit and check if the HTML-to-PDF conversion feature exists: Look for 'Convert' or 'HTML to PDF' options in the File menu, or the Convert toolbar
    Affected if The HTML-to-PDF conversion feature is present and available for use, which is the attack surface for this vulnerability
  4. Determine if users open HTML files with Foxit
    Review user workflows or check file associations: Windows default file associations can be viewed via Settings > Apps > Default Apps > Choose default apps by file type, looking for .html entries
    Affected if Foxit Reader or PhantomPDF is configured as the default handler for HTML files, or users routinely open HTML files using Foxit for conversion

A user is affected if Foxit Reader version 9.7.0.29478 or lower, or PhantomPDF version 9.7.0.29455 or lower, is installed with HTML-to-PDF conversion functionality accessible to users who may open untrusted HTML content.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 data
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 9.7.0.29478
Interim mitigation

Update Foxit PhantomPDF to the latest version or apply vendor-supplied patches. Avoid opening untrusted HTML files or visiting untrusted websites until the update is applied.

Fix this in Reader Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
4.0 hours of engineering $750
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-8853 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data