CVE-2022-42389
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 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 read past the end of an allocated buffer. An attacker can leverage this in conjunction with other vulnerabilities to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-18658.
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 confidenceAn out-of-bounds read vulnerability exists in PDF-XChange Editor's U3D (Universal 3D) file parser. When parsing a maliciously crafted U3D file, the application reads beyond the boundaries of an allocated buffer, potentially exposing sensitive memory information. While the CVSS indicates information disclosure as the primary impact, the vulnerability can be chained with other flaws to achieve 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< 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
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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.
-
Confirm PDF-XChange Editor is installedCheck the system for PDF-XChange Editor installation. Common installation paths include C:\Program Files\PDF-XChange\PDF-XChange Editor or C:\Program Files (x86)\PDF-XChange\PDF-XChange Editor. Also check Add/Remove Programs for 'PDF-XChange Editor'.Affected if PDF-XChange Editor is installed on the system
-
Identify the installed version numberOpen the application and navigate to Help > About, or right-click the executable and view Properties > Details to find the File Version. Alternatively, check the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PDF-XChange or check the uninstall entry for the version string.Affected if The installed version is lower than 9.5.366.0
-
Verify U3D parsing module is presentCheck if the application has U3D parsing capability. Examine the installation directory for U3D-related DLLs or modules (such as u3d.dll or similar). The vulnerability exists in the U3D file parser component.Affected if U3D parsing modules are present in the installation
-
Check for recent U3D file processingReview recent file access logs, the application's recent documents list, or scan the file system for .u3d files. Check browser download folders and document directories for any recently opened files with .u3d or embedded U3D content in PDFs.Affected if U3D files have been recently opened or processed by the application
The system is affected if PDF-XChange Editor is installed with a version lower than 9.5.366.0 and the U3D file parser is present and has been used to process untrusted U3D content.
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
Avoid opening untrusted PDF files, particularly those containing U3D content. Apply vendor patches when available. Consider endpoint protection solutions that can detect malicious file parsing behavior.
9.5.366.0 or later
- Navigate to the official PDF-XChange Editor website (www.tracker-software.com) and download version 9.5.366.0 or later
- Uninstall the current version of PDF-XChange Editor from the system
- Install the downloaded version 9.5.366.0 or newer
- Restart the application if prompted and verify the version number reflects the update
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,152.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-42389 — 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-2022-42389 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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