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Pdf EditorApplication · Foxit

CVE-2023-27364

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 Editor XLS File Parsing Exposed Dangerous Method Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Foxit PDF 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 XLS files. The issue results from the lack of proper restrictions on macro-enabled documents. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. . Was ZDI-CAN-19738.

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 Editor contains a vulnerability in its XLS file parsing component where macro-enabled Excel documents are not properly restricted. An attacker can craft a malicious XLS file that, when opened by a user, allows arbitrary code execution within the context of the Foxit process. The vulnerability requires user interaction—opening a malicious file—to trigger exploitation.

MitigationApply the vendor patch from Foxit when available. Until then, warn users against opening untrusted XLS attachments and consider disabling file preview or macro execution features in the PDF editor for added protection.

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. Verify Foxit PDF software is installed
    On Windows, check registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for Foxit entries, or check common install paths like C:\Program Files\Foxit or C:\Program Files (x86)\Foxit. On macOS, check /Applications folder for Foxit PDF Editor or Foxit Reader apps.
    Affected if Foxit PDF Editor or Foxit PDF Reader is present on the system
  2. Determine installed Foxit version
    Right-click the Foxit executable, select Properties, then view the Details tab for Version info. Alternatively, open Foxit and go to Help > About Foxit PDF Reader/Editor to display the version number.
    Affected if The displayed version falls within any of the affected ranges: < 10.1.11.37866; >= 11.0.0.49893 and < 11.2.5.53785; >= 12.0.0.12394 and < 12.1.1.15289 for Editor, or < 12.1.1.15289 for Reader
  3. Confirm XLS file handling capability is present
    Launch Foxit and attempt to open a benign XLS or XLSM file, or check if Foxit displays PDF documents with embedded Excel attachments. Verify the application has the capability to process Excel files through its PDF conversion or embedding features.
    Affected if The application can open, preview, or process XLS/XLSM files within the Foxit environment
  4. Identify if user regularly opens untrusted attachments
    Review user email habits, download folders, or document handling workflows to determine if users open XLS attachments from untrusted sources within Foxit PDF Reader or Editor.
    Affected if Users open XLS/XLSM files through Foxit, particularly from untrusted or external sources

You are affected if Foxit PDF Editor (any version before 10.1.11.37866, 11.0.0.49893-11.2.5.53785, or 12.0.0.12394-12.1.1.15289) or Foxit PDF Reader (before 12.1.1.15289) is installed and users open XLS/XLSM files through the application.

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

Apply the vendor patch from Foxit when available. Until then, warn users against opening untrusted XLS attachments and consider disabling file preview or macro execution features in the PDF editor for added protection.

Recommended fix High confidence

Foxit PDF Editor 10.1.11.37866 (10.x line), 11.2.5.53785 (11.x line), or 12.1.1.15289 (12.x line); Foxit PDF Reader 12.1.1.15289 or later

  1. 1. Identify the currently installed Foxit PDF Editor or PDF Reader version from the application (Help > About Foxit PDF Editor/Reader)
  2. 2. Based on the current major version, determine the minimum fixed version required: For version 10.x, upgrade to 10.1.11.37866 or later; For version 11.x, upgrade to 11.2.5.53785 or later; For version 12.x, upgrade to 12.1.1.15289 or later
  3. 3. Download the latest version from the official Foxit website at www.foxit.com/downloads
  4. 4. Close all instances of Foxit PDF Editor or PDF Reader
  5. 5. Run the installer for the upgraded version
  6. 6. Restart the application after installation completes
Caveat Minimal risk - point releases typically contain security fixes without major functionality changes; ensure compatibility with any existing plugins or integrations

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

Fix this in Pdf Editor Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
30.0 hours of engineering $5,280
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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-2023-27364 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