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Pdf Xchange EditorApplication · Pdf Xchange

CVE-2022-42406

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-01-26
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 9.5.366.0 or later.
See remediation →
58/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 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 EMF files. Crafted data in an EMF 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-18369.

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

This is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in PDF-XChange Editor's EMF (Enhanced Metafile) file parser. The vulnerability allows reading past the end of an allocated buffer when processing specially crafted EMF files. While the primary impact is information disclosure, the advisory notes this can be chained with other vulnerabilities to achieve arbitrary code execution in the current process context.

MitigationApply vendor patches from PDF-XChange Editor when available. Until then, restrict user ability to open untrusted EMF files and implement application sandboxing or file type blocking as defense-in-depth.

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
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 checks

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

  1. Identify PDF-XChange Editor installation
    Check for PDF-XChange Editor in installed programs (Windows: Programs and Features, or check Program Files for PDF-XChange Editor folder)
    Affected if PDF-XChange Editor is installed on the system
  2. Determine installed version number
    Right-click on PDF-XChange Editor executable or DLL, select Properties, then view the Details tab for Version information; alternatively, open the application and check Help > About
    Affected if The version shown is lower than 9.5.366.0 (for example, 9.5.365.0, 9.4.x.x, or any version earlier than 9.5.366)
  3. Confirm EMF file handling is possible
    Verify the installation includes the EMF parser component by attempting to open or import an EMF file within PDF-XChange Editor, or check that EMF file association is active
    Affected if EMF files can be opened or processed within the application (the parser is present and functional)

If PDF-XChange Editor version is installed and it is lower than 9.5.366.0, and the application can process EMF files, the environment is vulnerable to CVE-2022-42406.

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 patches from PDF-XChange Editor when available. Until then, restrict user ability to open untrusted EMF files and implement application sandboxing or file type blocking as defense-in-depth.

Recommended fix High confidence

9.5.366.0 or later

  1. Open PDF-XChange Editor and check the current version via Help > About, or right-click the application and select Properties to view the version
  2. Close PDF-XChange Editor completely before updating
  3. Download PDF-XChange Editor version 9.5.366.0 or later from the official vendor website (www.tracker-software.com)
  4. Run the installer and follow the prompts to complete the upgrade
  5. After installation, verify the version has been updated to 9.5.366.0 or later via 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
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,770
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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-2022-42406 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