CVE-2021-45978
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 · uneditedFoxit PDF Reader and PDF Editor before 11.1 on macOS allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via xfa.host.gotoURL in the XFA API.
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 confidenceFoxit PDF Reader and PDF Editor before version 11.1 on macOS contain a vulnerability in the XFA (XML Forms Architecture) API where the xfa.host.gotoURL function can be exploited by remote attackers to execute arbitrary code through specially crafted PDF files.
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< 11.1< 11.1CVSS 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.
-
Verify Foxit PDF application is installed on macOSNavigate to /Applications folder or use Spotlight search (Cmd+Space) to search for 'Foxit PDF Reader' or 'Foxit PDF Editor'Affected if Foxit PDF Reader or Foxit PDF Editor is present on the system
-
Determine installed Foxit version numberRight-click the Foxit application in /Applications, select 'Get Info' (or press Cmd+I), and locate the version number under the 'General' information sectionAffected if Version number is lower than 11.1.0 (e.g., 11.0.x, 10.x, or earlier)
-
Confirm macOS platformThis vulnerability specifically affects the macOS version of Foxit products; verify the operating system by clicking the Apple menu and selecting 'About This Mac'Affected if Running macOS with Foxit versions below 11.1 installed
-
Check if XFA-based PDF forms are processedOpen any PDF files that may contain XFA forms (typically dynamic XML-based forms) and observe if they render successfully in Foxit, indicating XFA processing is activeAffected if XFA forms are routinely opened in Foxit Reader/Editor versions below 11.1 on macOS
A user is affected if Foxit PDF Reader or PDF Editor version 11.1 or later is not installed on macOS, particularly when opening PDF files from untrusted sources that utilize XFA functionality.
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.
dbcve · scoped11.1
Upgrade Foxit PDF Reader and PDF Editor to version 11.1 or later on macOS to remediate this vulnerability, and exercise caution when opening PDF files from untrusted sources.
Foxit PDF Reader and PDF Editor 11.1 for macOS
- Open Foxit PDF Reader or PDF Editor on your macOS system
- Navigate to the application menu (Foxit PDF or Help) and select 'Check for Updates' or 'About Foxit PDF' to confirm your current version
- If your version is below 11.1, download the latest version (11.1 or later) from the official Foxit website at www.foxit.com
- Install the downloaded update by following the on-screen prompts
- Verify the version after installation confirms you are on 11.1 or higher
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,744.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-45978 — 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-2021-45978 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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