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Pdf Xchange EditorApplication · Pdf Xchange

CVE-2022-42405

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 EMF files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of the length of user-supplied data prior to copying it to a fixed-length heap-based buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-18367.

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 heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in PDF-XChange Editor's EMF (Enhanced Metafile) file parser. The issue stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied data length before copying to a fixed-size heap buffer, allowing remote code execution when a user opens a specially crafted EMF file.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied patch for PDF-XChange Editor; until patched, restrict opening of untrusted EMF files and educate users about not opening 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. Check if PDF-XChange Editor is installed
    Look for PDF-XChange Editor in installed programs or locate the application executable on the system
    Affected if PDF-XChange Editor is present on the system
  2. Determine the installed version of PDF-XChange Editor
    Access the application's version information through its Help menu, About dialog, or by right-clicking the executable and selecting Properties
    Affected if The installed version is below 9.5.366.0
  3. Confirm EMF file handling is enabled
    Verify that the application can process EMF (Enhanced Metafile) files - check file type associations or test by opening a standard EMF file
    Affected if The application processes EMF files as a default or configured feature
  4. Identify exposure to crafted EMF files
    Check if the user opens EMF files from external sources, email attachments, or untrusted locations using PDF-XChange Editor
    Affected if Users open EMF files from untrusted or unknown sources with this application

A user is affected if PDF-XChange Editor version is lower than 9.5.366.0 and the application processes EMF files, allowing specially crafted EMF files to trigger the heap-based buffer overflow.

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 the vendor-supplied patch for PDF-XChange Editor; until patched, restrict opening of untrusted EMF files and educate users about not opening files from untrusted sources.

Recommended fix High confidence

PDF-XChange Editor version 9.5.366.0

  1. 1. Ensure all work is saved and close PDF-XChange Editor
  2. 2. Navigate to the official PDF-XChange website at www.tracker-software.com
  3. 3. Download the latest version of PDF-XChange Editor (version 9.5.366.0 or later)
  4. 4. Run the installer and follow the prompts to complete the installation
  5. 5. After installation, verify the version by opening PDF-XChange Editor and checking Help > About

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

Fix this in Pdf Xchange Editor Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
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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-2022-42405 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