dbcve.org
Power PdfApplication · Tungstenautomation

CVE-2023-37337

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-05-03
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.0.0.11 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
Kofax Power PDF JP2 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 JP2 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-20393.

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

A missing validation vulnerability in Kofax Power PDF's JP2 (JPEG 2000) file parser allows writing beyond allocated memory boundaries. The parser fails to properly validate user-supplied data within JP2 image files, leading to an out-of-bounds write condition that can be leveraged for arbitrary code execution in the context of the current process.

MitigationDo not open untrusted or unsolicited JP2 files, and apply vendor-supplied patches for Kofax Power PDF when available.

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
Power PdfApplication
Affected:< 5.0.0.11

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 Power PDF installation
    Check for Power PDF in the Windows Registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall or look for the Power PDF executable in typical installation directories such as C:\Program Files\Kofax\Power PDF or C:\Program Files (x86)\Kofax\Power PDF
    Affected if Power PDF software is present on the system
  2. Determine installed version
    Right-click on the Power PDF executable (typically named Power PDF.exe or a similar variant) and select Properties, then inspect the File Version field on the Details tab. Alternatively, check the DisplayVersion value in the Registry under the uninstall key for Kofax Power PDF
    Affected if The displayed version number is lower than 5.0.0.11 (for example, 5.0.0.10, 4.0.x.x, or earlier versions)
  3. Verify JP2 file handling capability
    Confirm that the Power PDF installation includes image import functionality by opening the application and attempting to insert a JP2 file or checking the supported file formats in the application help or file open dialog filters
    Affected if The application can open or import JP2 (JPEG 2000) image files
  4. Assess user exposure to JP2 files
    Search the system for .jp2 files in common user-accessible locations such as the Downloads folder, Desktop, or network shares, or check email attachments if the email client integrates with the system
    Affected if Users routinely receive or open JP2 files from external or untrusted sources

The system is affected if Power PDF is installed with a version lower than 5.0.0.11 and users may open JP2 files from external sources.

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 5.0.0.11 or later
Fixed in 5.0.0.11
Interim mitigation

Do not open untrusted or unsolicited JP2 files, and apply vendor-supplied patches for Kofax Power PDF when available.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Kofax Power PDF 5.0.0.11 or later

  1. 1. Verify the current installed version of Kofax Power PDF by navigating to Help > About in the application menu
  2. 2. If the version is below 5.0.0.11, download the latest version of Kofax Power PDF from the official vendor website or your organization's software distribution center
  3. 3. Close all instances of Power PDF before running the installer
  4. 4. Run the installer with administrative privileges and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the upgrade
  5. 5. After installation, verify the new version by checking Help > About to confirm version 5.0.0.11 or later is installed
  6. 6. As a general precaution, avoid opening JP2 files from untrusted sources until the upgrade is complete

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

Fix this in Power Pdf 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-2023-37337 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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