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Pdf ToolsApplication · Pdf Xchange

CVE-2023-27339

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-05-03
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
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
PDF-XChange Editor PNG File Parsing Out-Of-Bounds Write Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. 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 PNG files. Crafted data in a PNG 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-18663.

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

PDF-XChange Editor contains an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in its PNG file parsing logic. When processing a specially crafted PNG file, the application writes data past the end of an allocated memory buffer, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged for remote code execution in the context of the current process.

MitigationUpdate PDF-XChange Editor to the latest version incorporating the vendor patch. Avoid opening untrusted or unexpected PNG files from unknown 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 ToolsApplication
Affected:= 9.4.364.0
Pdf Xchange EditorApplication
Affected:= 9.4.364.0

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 installed PDF-XChange Editor version
    Open PDF-XChange Editor, then go to Help > About or check the application properties in Windows Explorer (right-click the executable > Properties > Details). Note the version number shown.
    Affected if The version listed is exactly 9.4.364.0
  2. Identify installed PDF-XChange PDF Tools version
    Locate the PDF Tools application in your installed programs list (Windows Settings > Apps & Features, or Control Panel > Programs and Features). Click on the entry to view the version, or right-click to access properties. Note the version number shown.
    Affected if The version listed is exactly 9.4.364.0
  3. Verify PNG processing capability is present
    Confirm the application is a full installation rather than a minimal version. The vulnerability exists in the PNG parsing module, which is included by default in standard installations of both affected products.
    Affected if The full application is installed and capable of opening PNG files (default behavior for standard installations)

You are affected if either PDF-XChange Editor or PDF-XChange PDF Tools version 9.4.364.0 is installed and the application can process PNG files, which is the default configuration.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update PDF-XChange Editor to the latest version incorporating the vendor patch. Avoid opening untrusted or unexpected PNG files from unknown sources.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

PDF-XChange Editor version newer than 9.4.364.0 (verify exact version with vendor)

  1. Contact PDF-XChange (Tracker Software) directly to verify the latest fixed version beyond 9.4.364.0
  2. Download the latest version of PDF-XChange Editor from the official vendor website (www.tracker-software.com)
  3. Verify the installed version matches or exceeds the fixed version provided by the vendor
  4. Test the update in a non-production environment before deploying broadly
Caveat Review release notes for any breaking changes or deprecations in the newer version

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

Fix this in Pdf Tools Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $860
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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-2023-27339 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