CVE-2023-39484
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 · uneditedPDF-XChange Editor PDF File Parsing Uninitialized Variable Information Disclosure Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to disclose sensitive information on affected installations of PDF-XChange 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 PDF files. The issue results from the lack of proper initialization of memory prior to accessing it. An attacker can leverage this in conjunction with other vulnerabilities to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-18493.
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 · moderate confidencePDF-XChange Editor contains an uninitialized variable vulnerability in its PDF file parsing logic. The flaw allows reading of uninitialized memory contents when processing specially crafted PDF files, potentially leaking sensitive heap/stack data. While this is classified as an information disclosure bug, the advisory notes it can be chained with other vulnerabilities to achieve arbitrary code execution, likely by providing leakable memory addresses to bypass ASLR.
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= 10.0.1.371= 10.0.1.371CVSS 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
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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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Check if PDF-XChange Editor is installedOpen Windows Settings > Apps > Apps & features, or use Control Panel > Programs and Features, and look for 'PDF-XChange Editor' in the installed programs list.Affected if PDF-XChange Editor appears in the installed programs list.
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Identify the installed version of PDF-XChange EditorRight-click on the PDF-XChange Editor shortcut, select Properties, and check the 'Details' tab for the product version. Alternatively, right-click the executable file (usually in C:\Program Files\PDF-XChange\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\PDF-XChange\) and view its Properties > Details.Affected if The version shown is exactly 10.0.1.371.
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Check for PDF-XChange Pdf ToolsIn the same installed programs list, also look for 'PDF-XChange Pdf Tools' or 'PDF-XChange PDF Tools' and note its version if present.Affected if PDF-XChange Pdf Tools version 10.0.1.371 is installed.
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Verify PDF parsing is usedOpen PDF-XChange Editor and attempt to open any PDF file to confirm the application can parse PDF documents. The vulnerability is triggered during PDF parsing operations.Affected if The application successfully opens and parses PDF files.
If PDF-XChange Editor or PDF-XChange Pdf Tools version 10.0.1.371 is installed and the application can parse PDF files, the environment is affected by this vulnerability.
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 dataApply the vendor-supplied patch/update for PDF-XChange Editor to the latest version. Users should avoid opening untrusted PDF files from unknown sources.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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 locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-39484 — 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-2023-39484 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data