CVE-2021-31453
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 10.1.1.37576. 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 XFA Forms. The issue results from the lack of validating the existence of an object prior to performing operations on the object. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-13092.
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 use-after-free or null pointer dereference vulnerability in Foxit Reader's XFA Forms handling. The application fails to validate that an object exists before performing operations on it, allowing remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a malicious PDF file or webpage. User interaction is required (opening a malicious file or visiting a malicious page).
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<= 10.1.3.37598<= 9.7.5.29616>= 10.0.0.0, <= 10.1.3.37598CVSS 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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Check installed Foxit Reader versionOpen Foxit Reader, go to Help > About Foxit Reader, or check Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel. The version number is displayed in the format X.X.X.XXXXXAffected if Version is 10.1.3.37598 or lower (any version up to and including 10.1.3.37598)
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Check installed PhantomPDF versionOpen PhantomPDF, go to Help > About PhantomPDF, or check Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel. The version number is displayed in the format X.X.X.XXXXXAffected if Version is 9.7.5.29616 or lower, OR between 10.0.0.0 and 10.1.3.37598 inclusive
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Verify XFA Forms feature usageCheck if the user frequently opens PDF forms that use XFA (XML Forms Architecture). These are typically dynamic PDF forms. Open a PDF in Foxit and check the document properties or try filling form fields - XFA forms will show as dynamic or have specific form handling behaviorAffected if XFA Forms are commonly used/opened in the environment (the vulnerability only triggers when processing XFA-based PDF forms)
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Check for recent PDF handling activityReview recent documents opened or browser history if Foxit browser plugin is installed. Look for PDF files from untrusted sources opened around the CVE disclosure dateAffected if User has opened PDF files from untrusted or unknown sources, especially dynamic/form-based PDFs
Environment is affected if Foxit Reader version is 10.1.3.37598 or lower, or PhantomPDF version is 9.7.5.29616 or lower or between 10.0.0.0 and 10.1.3.37598, AND users open or process XFA-based PDF forms which is the attack vector for 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 dataUpdate Foxit Reader to the latest patched version released by Foxit Software. Organizations should deploy the update through their patch management systems and verify completion across all endpoints.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-31453 — 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-2021-31453 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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