CVE-2023-37334
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 · uneditedKofax Power PDF PDF File Parsing Out-Of-Bounds Write Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Kofax Power PDF. 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 PDF files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a write past the end of an allocated object. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-20390.
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 confidenceThis is a memory corruption vulnerability in Kofax Power PDF's PDF file parser. The application fails to properly validate user-supplied data during PDF parsing, allowing an out-of-bounds write operation past the end of an allocated buffer. Successful exploitation requires a victim to open a specially crafted malicious PDF file, enabling arbitrary code execution in the context of the current process.
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< 5.0.0.11CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Verify Power PDF installationSearch for Kofax Power PDF or Tungstenautomation Power PDF in the system's installed programs. On Windows, check Programs and Features, or search for the application in common installation paths such as C:\Program Files\Kofax\ or C:\Program Files\Tungsten Automation\.Affected if Kofax Power PDF or Tungstenautomation Power PDF is present on the system
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Locate Power PDF executableFind the main Power PDF executable file (typically named PowerPDF.exe). Use Windows Explorer or run: dir "C:\Program Files\Kofax\Power PDF\*.exe" /s /b or the equivalent path for Tungsten Automation.Affected if The Power PDF executable file exists on the system
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Check file versionRight-click the PowerPDF.exe file, select Properties, then go to the Details tab to view the File Version. Alternatively, right-click the application in Programs and Features and select Properties to view the Version information.Affected if The version displayed is less than 5.0.0.11 or cannot be determined
If Kofax Power PDF or Tungstenautomation Power PDF is installed with a version below 5.0.0.11, the environment is affected by this vulnerability when users open malicious PDF files.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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.
From vendor data5.0.0.11
Users should avoid opening PDF files from untrusted sources and ensure Kofax Power PDF is updated when vendor patches become available. Implement endpoint detection and network monitoring for indicators of malicious PDF files.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-37334 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-37334 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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
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