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Pdf EditorApplication · Foxit

CVE-2022-37390

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-03-29
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 10.1.9 / 11.2.3 or later.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges

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 · unedited
This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Foxit PDF Reader 11.2.2.53575. 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 AcroForms. 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-17551.

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 confidence

A use-after-free or null pointer dereference vulnerability in Foxit PDF Reader 11.2.2.53575 allows remote code execution via malicious PDF files containing specially crafted AcroForms. The vulnerability stems from the application failing to validate object existence before performing operations on them, enabling an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user process.

MitigationUpdate Foxit PDF Reader to the latest version that includes the security patch. Until patched, instruct users not to open untrusted PDF files and consider disabling AcroForm functionality if feasible.

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
Pdf EditorApplication
Affected:< 10.1.9>= 11.0.0, < 11.2.3= 12.0.0.12394
Pdf ReaderApplication
Affected:< 12.0.1

CVSS 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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Determine Foxit PDF Reader version
    Open Foxit PDF Reader, then go to Help > About Foxit Reader. Alternatively, right-click the FoxitReader.exe file, select Properties, and view the Version tab.
    Affected if Version is below 12.0.1 (for Reader) or below 10.1.9, between 11.0.0-11.2.2, or equals 12.0.0.12394 (for Editor)
  2. Determine Foxit PDF Editor version
    Open Foxit PDF Editor, then go to Help > About Foxit PDF Editor. Alternatively, navigate to the installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\Foxit Software\Foxit PDF Editor), right-click the PDFEditor.exe file, select Properties, and view the Version tab.
    Affected if Version is below 10.1.9, between 11.0.0-11.2.2, or equals 12.0.0.12394 (for Editor)
  3. Verify AcroForm functionality is enabled
    In Foxit Reader or Editor, go to File > Preferences > Forms. Check if the option to 'Enable Adobe Acrobat JavaScript' or form-related features is checked. This can also be verified in the Windows Registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Foxit\Reader\Preferences or HKCU\SOFTWARE\Foxit\Reader\Preferences if accessible.
    Affected if AcroForm features are enabled and the application processes PDF forms, placing the environment at risk if a malicious PDF is opened

Your environment is affected if Foxit PDF Reader is below version 12.0.1 or Foxit PDF Editor is below 10.1.9, between 11.0.0-11.2.2, or exactly version 12.0.0.12394, and AcroForm functionality is enabled.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 10.1.9 / 11.2.3 / 12.0.1 or later
Fixed in 10.1.911.2.312.0.1
Interim mitigation

Update Foxit PDF Reader to the latest version that includes the security patch. Until patched, instruct users not to open untrusted PDF files and consider disabling AcroForm functionality if feasible.

Recommended fix High confidence

Pdf Reader: 12.0.1 or later; Pdf Editor: 10.1.9, 11.2.3, or later (avoid 12.0.0.12394)

  1. 1. Open Foxit PDF Reader or PDF Editor application
  2. 2. Navigate to Help > Check for Updates or About Foxit PDF [Reader/Editor]
  3. 3. Download and install the latest version from the official Foxit website (www.foxit.com)
  4. 4. For Pdf Reader: upgrade to version 12.0.1 or later
  5. 5. For Pdf Editor: upgrade to version 10.1.9 or later (for 10.x users); upgrade to version 11.2.3 or later (for 11.x users); for 12.x users, upgrade to any version other than 12.0.0.12394
  6. 6. Restart the application after updating
  7. 7. Verify the installed version matches a fixed release by checking Help > About Foxit PDF
Caveat Minor: Security updates may change UI behavior; ensure compatibility with any PDF plugins or integrations

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Pdf Editor Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-37390 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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