CVE-2023-39503
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 OXPS File Parsing Out-Of-Bounds Read 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 OXPS files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a read past the end of an allocated buffer. An attacker can leverage this in conjunction with other vulnerabilities to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-20036.
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 confidencePDF-XChange Editor contains an out-of-bounds read vulnerability when parsing OXPS (Open XML Paper Specification) files. The issue stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied data during OXPS file processing, allowing an attacker to read past the end of an allocated memory buffer. This information disclosure can be chained with other vulnerabilities to achieve 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= 9.5.366.0= 9.5.366.0CVSS 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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Confirm PDF-XChange product is installedLocate the application on the system. Common install paths: C:\Program Files\PDF-XChange\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\PDF-XChange\. Look for pdfxedit.exe or PDFXEdit.exe for the Editor, or check Programs and Features for 'PDF-XChange PDF Tools' or 'PDF-XChange Editor'.Affected if Either product is present on the system
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Determine installed version of PDF-XChange EditorIn the application, click Help > About PDF-XChange Editor. The version number displayed in the dialog is the installed version. Alternatively, right-click the executable file (pdfxedit.exe), select Properties, and check the Details tab for the Product Version.Affected if Version is 9.5.366.0
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Determine installed version of PDF-XChange PDF ToolsOpen a command prompt and navigate to the installation directory, then run 'PDFXCview.exe -?' or check the version through the program's About dialog if a GUI tool exists. Alternatively, check the Properties of the installed executable in the program files directory.Affected if Version is 9.5.366.0
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Assess OXPS file handling exposureCheck if the application is configured to open or process OXPS files. Look for OXPS file associations in Windows (right-click a .oxps file > Open with > Choose another app > Look for PDF-XChange Editor). Also search for any .oxps test files in user-accessible directories that may have been opened with the application.Affected if PDF-XChange is set as the default handler for OXPS files or has recent history of opening OXPS documents
A user is affected if PDF-XChange Editor or PDF-XChange PDF Tools version 9.5.366.0 is installed and the application processes OXPS 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 dataAvoid opening untrusted OXPS files from unknown sources. Apply vendor patches when available, or consider disabling OXPS file handling in PDF-XChange Editor if not required for business workflows.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-39503 — 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-2023-39503 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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