CVE-2023-42047
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 JP2 File Parsing Memory Corruption Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code 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 JP2 files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a memory corruption condition. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-20908.
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 fails to properly validate user-supplied data when parsing JP2 (JPEG 2000) image files, leading to memory corruption. An attacker can exploit this by tricking a user into opening a malicious JP2 file, potentially executing arbitrary code in the context of the current user session.
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
- 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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Check if PDF-XChange Editor is installedOpen Windows Settings > Apps & Features, or run 'Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion' in PowerShell to list installed software and their versionsAffected if PDF-XChange Editor or Pdf Xchange Pdf Tools appears in the installed programs list
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Verify the exact version numberCompare the installed version against 10.0.1.371 specifically - this vulnerability affects only this exact versionAffected if The installed version is exactly 10.0.1.371
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Confirm JP2 file handling is possibleAttempt to open a benign JP2 file in PDF-XChange Editor, or check file association settings to confirm .jp2 files can be processedAffected if JP2 files can be opened or rendered by the application (this is default behavior)
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Check for recent file opening activityReview recent documents opened in PDF-XChange Editor, check Windows Jump List, Recent Files, or application history for any .jp2 filesAffected if Users have recently opened JP2 files or JP2-containing PDFs
A user is affected if PDF-XChange Editor or Pdf Xchange Pdf Tools version 10.0.1.371 is installed and users can open or process JP2 image files (default behavior), which could allow memory corruption if a malicious JP2 file is opened.
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 vendor-provided patch when available. Until then, implement compensating controls such as blocking or restricting JP2 file attachments, disabling PDF-XChange Editor's JP2 handling, or using application isolation/sandboxing to limit exposure.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 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-2023-42047 — 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-2023-42047 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
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