CVE-2022-37381
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. 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 AFSpecial_KeystrokeEx method. 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-17110.
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 confidenceA use-after-free or null pointer dereference vulnerability in Foxit PDF Reader's AFSpecial_KeystrokeEx method allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a specially crafted PDF file. The method fails to validate object existence before performing operations on it, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged for code execution in the context of the current process. User interaction is required (opening a malicious PDF 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< 10.1.9>= 11.0.0, < 11.2.3= 12.0.0.12394< 12.0.1CVSS 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.
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Check if Foxit PDF Reader is installedLook for Foxit PDF Reader in the installed programs list (Windows Settings > Apps & features, or check C:\Program Files\Foxit Software\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Foxit Software\)Affected if Foxit PDF Reader is found on the system
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Determine the installed version of Foxit PDF ReaderOpen Foxit PDF Reader, then go to Help > About Foxit Reader to display the version number (for example, 12.0.0.x or earlier)Affected if The displayed version is < 12.0.1
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Confirm the exact version number for precise range matchingIf the version shows as 12.0.x, verify whether it is exactly 12.0.0.12394 (this specific build is also affected per the CVE)Affected if Version is exactly 12.0.0.12394 or falls below 12.0.1
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Check if JavaScript execution is enabled in Foxit PDF ReaderGo to File > Preferences > JavaScript and verify if Enable Adobe JavaScript is checkedAffected if JavaScript is enabled (the vulnerable AFSpecial_KeystrokeEx method is a JavaScript API, so exploitation requires JavaScript to be active)
If Foxit PDF Reader is installed with a version below 12.0.1 (or exactly 12.0.0.12394) and JavaScript is enabled, the environment is vulnerable to this CVE.
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 · scoped10.1.911.2.312.0.1
Apply the vendor patch from Foxit (update to the latest version of Foxit PDF Reader). Until patched, avoid opening PDF files from untrusted sources or disable JavaScript execution in PDF settings.
Foxit Pdf Reader: 12.0.1+ | Foxit Pdf Editor: 10.1.9+ (10.x), 11.2.3+ (11.x), or latest (12.x)
- Identify the Foxit product installed (Pdf Reader or Pdf Editor) and note the current version number
- For Foxit Pdf Reader: Upgrade to version 12.0.1 or later
- For Foxit Pdf Editor: Upgrade to version 10.1.9 or later if on version 10.x line
- For Foxit Pdf Editor: Upgrade to version 11.2.3 or later if on version 11.x line
- For Foxit Pdf Editor: Upgrade to a version newer than 12.0.0.12394 if on version 12.x line
- Verify the upgrade was successful by checking Help > About in the application
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation0.5 h
- Testing0.5 h
- Review / QA0.5 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-37381 — 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-2022-37381 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