CVE-2022-41144
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 PDF-XChange Editor. 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 parsing of U3D files. Crafted data in a U3D file can trigger a write past the end of an allocated buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-18282.
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 · moderate confidenceThis is a buffer overflow vulnerability in PDF-XChange Editor's U3D (Universal 3D) file parser. When parsing specially crafted U3D files, the application writes data past the end of an allocated buffer, causing memory corruption that can be leveraged for arbitrary code execution in the context of the current process. Exploitation requires user interaction through opening a malicious file or visiting a malicious webpage.
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< 9.5.366.0CVSS 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 installed PDF-XChange Editor versionOpen PDF-XChange Editor, then go to Help > About, or right-click the PDF-XChange Editor executable in Program Files, select Properties, and view the File Version under the Details tabAffected if Version is less than 9.5.366.0
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Confirm U3D file handling is availableAttempt to open or import a U3D file in the application. U3D files may be embedded in PDFs or opened directly through File > OpenAffected if U3D files can be opened or imported, meaning the vulnerable parser code is reachable
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Check for recent U3D file processing activityReview recent PDF files opened or imported for presence of embedded U3D content, or check application logs if availableAffected if U3D files have been recently opened, indicating the attack surface is active
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Verify user interaction exposureDetermine if users in the environment open PDF files from untrusted sources or visit untrusted websites that could deliver malicious U3D contentAffected if Users routinely open PDFs from unknown or untrusted sources, increasing likelihood of exploitation
The environment is affected if PDF-XChange Editor version is below 9.5.366.0 and users can open or process U3D files, which triggers the vulnerable parser code path.
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 · scoped9.5.366.0
Update PDF-XChange Editor to the latest patched version provided by the vendor. Until patched, avoid opening untrusted U3D files or visiting untrusted websites that could deliver malicious U3D content.
PDF-XChange Editor version 9.5.366.0 or later
- 1. Close PDF-XChange Editor if it is currently running
- 2. Navigate to the official PDF-XChange website at www.tracker-software.com
- 3. Locate the downloads section and download the latest version of PDF-XChange Editor (version 9.5.366.0 or later)
- 4. Run the installer and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the upgrade
- 5. After installation, verify the version by going to Help > About PDF-XChange Editor and confirm the version number is 9.5.366.0 or higher
- 6. Ensure users do not open untrusted U3D files or PDF files from untrusted sources
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-41144 — 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-2022-41144 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
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