CVE-2022-28681
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 disclose sensitive information 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 deletePages method. By performing actions in JavaScript, an attacker can trigger a read past the end of an allocated object. An attacker can leverage this in conjunction with other vulnerabilities to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-16825.
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 confidenceOut-of-bounds read vulnerability in Foxit PDF Reader 11.2.1.53537's deletePages JavaScript API method. Attackers exploit this by crafting malicious PDF files or web pages that trigger a read past the end of an allocated object, leading to sensitive information disclosure. This can be chained with other vulnerabilities for arbitrary code execution.
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
- Low
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/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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Confirm Foxit PDF product is installedCheck for Foxit PDF Reader or Foxit PDF Editor installation: Look in Program Files for 'Foxit Reader' or 'Foxit PDF Editor' folders, or check Windows Registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Foxit Software for installed productsAffected if No Foxit product is found - the environment is not affected by this specific vulnerability
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Identify the exact Foxit product and versionLocate the main executable (FoxitReader.exe or FoxitPDFEditor.exe) in the installation directory, right-click and select Properties, then check the Details tab for Product Version; alternatively check the registry key under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Foxit Software\[ProductName]\Install for the Version valueAffected if Unable to determine version - manual verification required
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Compare installed version against affected rangesFor Foxit PDF Reader: check if version is <= 11.2.1.53537. For Foxit PDF Editor: check if version is <= 10.1.7.37777 OR >= 11.0 and <= 11.2.1.53537. Note that versions 10.1.8 through 10.1.x are not listed as affectedAffected if Version falls within any of these ranges: Reader <= 11.2.1.53537; Editor <= 10.1.7.37777; Editor 11.0-11.2.1.53537 - the installed product is vulnerable
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Verify JavaScript/PDF functionality is enabledIn Foxit Reader/Editor, go to File > Preferences > JavaScript and confirm JavaScript execution is enabled; also check File > Preferences > Security for trusted document settingsAffected if JavaScript is enabled in the Foxit application - the deletePages API can be triggered by malicious PDFs
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Assess user interaction risk with untrusted PDFsReview system or network logs for recent opened PDF files from untrusted sources, or interview users about their PDF browsing habits; check browser plugins or extensions that automatically open PDFs in FoxitAffected if Users routinely open PDFs from untrusted sources or visit malicious web pages - exploit delivery is plausible
A user is affected if Foxit PDF Reader version <= 11.2.1.53537 or Foxit PDF Editor version <= 10.1.7.37777 or between 11.0 and 11.2.1.53537 is installed AND JavaScript is enabled, with potential exposure to untrusted PDF files or web pages.
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 · scopedUpdate Foxit PDF Reader to the latest patched version; enforce user training to avoid opening untrusted PDF files or visiting malicious web pages.
Pdf Reader: 11.2.2 or later; Pdf Editor 10.x: 10.2 or later; Pdf Editor 11.x: 11.2.2 or later
- 1. Identify the exact Foxit product installed (Pdf Reader or Pdf Editor) and the current version number
- 2. For Foxit Pdf Reader: Upgrade to version 11.2.2 or later (any version higher than 11.2.1.53537)
- 3. For Foxit Pdf Editor: If using version 10.x, upgrade to version 10.2 or later; if using version 11.x, upgrade to version 11.2.2 or later
- 4. Download the latest version from the official Foxit website at www.foxit.com
- 5. Close all Foxit applications before installing the update
- 6. Run the installer and follow the prompts to complete the upgrade
- 7. Verify the installed version matches or exceeds the fixed release
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-28681 — 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-2022-28681 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