dbcve.org
Power PdfApplication · Tungstenautomation

CVE-2023-38088

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2024-05-03
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.0.0.10 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 printf Uninitialized Variable 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 handling of util objects. The issue results from the lack of proper initialization of memory prior to accessing it. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-20566.

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

Kofax Power PDF contains an uninitialized variable vulnerability in its handling of util objects. The flaw results from the lack of proper memory initialization before the variable is accessed, allowing an attacker to potentially read or write to uninitialized memory and achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the current process. Exploitation requires user interaction through a malicious page or file.

MitigationApply the vendor-provided security patch for Kofax Power PDF when available. Until then, instruct users to avoid opening untrusted PDF files or visiting suspicious websites. Consider deploying endpoint detection tools to monitor for anomalous process behavior.

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:< 5.0.0.10

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. Identify the installed Power PDF version
    Open Power PDF and navigate to Help > About, or check the application's version information in the Windows Programs and Features list
    Affected if The displayed version number is lower than 5.0.0.10
  2. Confirm the exact product name
    Verify the application name in Programs and Features or the executable properties - the affected product is Kofax Power PDF or Tungstenautomation Power PDF
    Affected if The product is Kofax Power PDF or Tungstenautomation Power PDF with a version below 5.0.0.10
  3. Assess user interaction exposure
    Determine whether users in the environment typically open PDF files from external sources or browse untrusted websites, since exploitation requires user interaction with malicious content
    Affected if Users routinely open untrusted PDF files or visit suspicious websites and the software version is below 5.0.0.10
  4. Review process behavior baselines
    If endpoint detection tools are deployed, establish a baseline for Power PDF process behavior to detect anomalous activity that could indicate exploitation of this or similar memory handling flaws
    Affected if Baseline monitoring is not in place and users process untrusted PDF content with a vulnerable version

A user is affected if Kofax Power PDF or Tungstenautomation Power PDF version 5.0.0.10 or higher is not installed, and users in the environment open untrusted PDF files or visit malicious web pages.

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 5.0.0.10 or later
Fixed in 5.0.0.10
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-provided security patch for Kofax Power PDF when available. Until then, instruct users to avoid opening untrusted PDF files or visiting suspicious websites. Consider deploying endpoint detection tools to monitor for anomalous process behavior.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Power PDF 5.0.0.10 or later

  1. Verify current Power PDF version by navigating to Help > About Power PDF
  2. Download Power PDF version 5.0.0.10 or later from the official Kofax website or your organization's software distribution channel
  3. Close all instances of Power PDF
  4. Install the updated version following standard installation procedures
  5. Restart the application and verify the version number reflects the update
  6. Test critical document workflows to ensure functionality remains intact

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

Fix this in Power Pdf Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,080
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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-2023-38088 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