dbcve.org
Pdf EditorApplication · Foxit

CVE-2023-27363

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2024-05-03
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 10.1.11.37866 / 11.2.5.53785 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
Foxit PDF Reader exportXFAData Exposed Dangerous Method Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Foxit PDF Reader. 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 exportXFAData method. The application exposes a JavaScript interface that allows writing arbitrary files. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current user. Was ZDI-CAN-19697.

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

Foxit PDF Reader contains a vulnerability in the exportXFAData method which exposes a JavaScript interface that allows writing arbitrary files to the filesystem. An attacker can craft a malicious PDF file that, when opened by a user, leverages this exposed method to write and execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user, achieving remote code execution.

MitigationUpdate Foxit PDF Reader to the latest version incorporating the vendor patch. Until patched, avoid opening untrusted PDF files and consider disabling JavaScript execution in the reader settings.

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 EditorApplication
Affected:< 10.1.11.37866>= 11.0.0.49893, < 11.2.5.53785>= 12.0.0.12394, < 12.1.1.15289
Pdf ReaderApplication
Affected:< 12.1.1.15289

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:3.0/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 Foxit PDF Reader version
    Open Foxit PDF Reader, then go to Help > About Foxit Reader (or right-click the executable file in Program Files and select Properties > Details to view the version)
    Affected if The displayed version is lower than 12.1.1.15289, indicating a vulnerable version
  2. Verify JavaScript execution is enabled
    In Foxit PDF Reader, go to File > Preferences > JavaScript and check if JavaScript is enabled
    Affected if JavaScript execution is turned ON in the application settings
  3. Confirm XFA support is active
    The exportXFAData method relates to XFA (XML Forms Architecture) - check if the application handles XFA forms by opening a PDF containing XFA content
    Affected if XFA forms can be processed by the reader, which enables the vulnerable exportXFAData interface
  4. Review plugin or add-on status
    Go to Home > Plugins to see if the Foxit PDF SDK plugin is loaded, which handles the JavaScript API exposure
    Affected if The PDF productivity plugins are enabled and loaded

You are affected if your Foxit PDF Reader version is below 12.1.1.15289 AND JavaScript execution is enabled in the application preferences, allowing the exportXFAData method to be exploited for arbitrary file write and remote code execution.

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 10.1.11.37866 / 11.2.5.53785 / 12.1.1.15289 or later
Fixed in 10.1.11.3786611.2.5.5378512.1.1.15289
Interim mitigation

Update Foxit PDF Reader to the latest version incorporating the vendor patch. Until patched, avoid opening untrusted PDF files and consider disabling JavaScript execution in the reader settings.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to Pdf Editor 10.1.11.37866 (for v10.x), 11.2.5.53785 (for v11.x), or 12.1.1.15289 (for v12.x); Pdf Reader 12.1.1.15289

  1. 1. Identify the installed Foxit PDF Editor or Foxit PDF Reader version by opening the application and navigating to Help > About Foxit PDF Editor/Reader
  2. 2. For Pdf Editor version 10.x: Upgrade to version 10.1.11.37866 or later
  3. 3. For Pdf Editor version 11.x: Upgrade to version 11.2.5.53785 or later
  4. 4. For Pdf Editor version 12.x: Upgrade to version 12.1.1.15289 or later
  5. 5. For Pdf Reader: Upgrade to version 12.1.1.15289 or later
  6. 6. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking Help > About to confirm the installed version matches or exceeds the fixed release
  7. 7. Ensure JavaScript execution is disabled in PDF Reader settings if corporate policy permits, as an additional defense-in-depth measure

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

Fix this in Pdf Editor Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $860
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,376.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-27363 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2023-27363 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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.

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