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Pdf Xchange EditorApplication · Pdf Xchange

CVE-2022-42378

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-01-26
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 9.5.366.0 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 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-18631.

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

Buffer overflow vulnerability in PDF-XChange Editor's U3D file parser. Attackers can craft malicious U3D files that trigger a write past the end of an allocated buffer during parsing, enabling arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user process.

MitigationApply vendor patch when available; until then, restrict user ability to open untrusted U3D files and train users to not open files from untrusted sources.

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 Xchange EditorApplication
Affected:< 9.5.366.0

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. Identify if PDF-XChange Editor is installed
    Check the system for PDF-XChange Editor installation by looking in Program Files for 'PDF-XChange Editor' folder, or check Windows Registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Tracker Software or HKCU\SOFTWARE\Tracker Software for the product entry
    Affected if PDF-XChange Editor is present on the system
  2. Determine installed version
    Open PDF-XChange Editor, go to Help > About, or check the version in the Windows Registry under the Tracker Software registry key, or right-click the executable and view Properties > Details for the File Version
    Affected if The installed version is less than 9.5.366.0
  3. Confirm U3D file handling capability
    Check if the U3D (Universal 3D) feature is available in the editor by attempting to insert a 3D object or checking the Insert > 3D menu option, or test opening a .u3d file directly
    Affected if U3D file parsing functionality is present and usable in the installed version
  4. Check file association and recent U3D file activity
    Review recently opened files in PDF-XChange Editor (check recent documents list or Windows jump lists) or check if .u3d file type is associated with the application
    Affected if U3D files have been opened or the application is configured to handle U3D files from untrusted sources

A user is affected if PDF-XChange Editor version 9.5.366.0 or higher is NOT installed AND the U3D file parsing feature is accessible in the application.

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 9.5.366.0 or later
Fixed in 9.5.366.0
Interim mitigation

Apply vendor patch when available; until then, restrict user ability to open untrusted U3D files and train users to not open files from untrusted sources.

Recommended fix High confidence

PDF-XChange Editor version 9.5.366.0 or later

  1. Navigate to the official PDF-XChange Editor download page at www.tracker-software.com
  2. Download the latest version of PDF-XChange Editor (ensure version is 9.5.366.0 or higher)
  3. Close any running instances of PDF-XChange Editor
  4. Run the installer and follow the prompts to upgrade the software
  5. Restart the application after upgrade completes
  6. Verify the installed version by going to Help > About to confirm version 9.5.366.0 or later is installed

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

Fix this in Pdf Xchange Editor Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,840
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,544.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2022-42378 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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