CVE-2022-28676
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 PDF Reader 11.2.1.53537. 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 Doc objects. 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-16643.
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 PDF Reader's handling of Doc objects. The application fails to validate that an object exists before performing operations on it, allowing an attacker who tricks a user into opening a malicious PDF file to execute arbitrary code 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<= 10.1.7.37777>= 11.0, <= 11.2.1.53537<= 11.2.1.53537CVSS 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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Verify Foxit PDF software is installedCheck for Foxit Reader or Foxit PDF Editor executables in typical installation locations such as Program Files\Foxit Software\ or Program Files (x86)\Foxit Software\, or search for Foxit*.exe on the systemAffected if Foxit PDF Reader or Foxit PDF Editor executable is found on the system
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Determine the installed version of Foxit PDF ReaderLocate the Foxit Reader executable (typically FoxitReader.exe) and check its file properties for the version number, or query the Windows Registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Foxit Software\Foxit Reader or HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Foxit Software\Foxit Reader for the Version valueAffected if The installed version is 11.2.1.53537 or lower
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Determine the installed version of Foxit PDF EditorLocate the Foxit PDF Editor executable (typically FoxitPDFEditor.exe or FoxitEditor.exe) and check its file properties for the version number, or query the Windows Registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Foxit Software\Foxit PDF Editor for the Version valueAffected if The installed version is 10.1.7.37777 or lower, OR the version is 11.0.0.0 through 11.2.1.53537 inclusive
A user is affected if Foxit PDF Reader version 11.2.1.53537 or lower, or Foxit PDF Editor version 10.1.7.37777 or lower or between 11.0 and 11.2.1.53537, is installed on the system and the user opens PDF files from untrusted sources.
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 · scopedUsers should avoid opening PDF files from untrusted sources and should update to the latest version of Foxit PDF Reader when a vendor patch becomes available.
Foxit PDF Reader/Editor version 11.2.2 or later (exact fixed version should be confirmed on vendor site)
- 1. Navigate to the Foxit PDF Reader or PDF Editor download page at www.foxit.com
- 2. Download the latest version of the software (version 11.2.2 or later)
- 3. Close any running instances of Foxit PDF Reader or PDF Editor
- 4. Run the installer and follow the prompts to complete the upgrade
- 5. Verify the installed version after upgrade to confirm the vulnerability is patched
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-28676 — 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-2022-28676 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data