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Pdf ToolsApplication · Pdf Xchange

CVE-2023-42057

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-05-03
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
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
PDF-XChange Editor U3D File Parsing Out-Of-Bounds Read 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 U3D 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 object. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-20930.

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

An out-of-bounds read vulnerability exists in PDF-XChange Editor's U3D file parser due to insufficient validation of user-supplied data. The lack of bounds checking allows reading past the end of an allocated memory object, which can be weaponized to achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the vulnerable application process.

MitigationAvoid opening untrusted or specially crafted PDF files from unknown sources. Apply vendor patches for PDF-XChange Editor when available to remediate this vulnerability.

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
Pdf ToolsApplication
Affected:= 9.5.368.0
Pdf Xchange EditorApplication
Affected:= 9.5.368.0

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 if PDF-XChange Editor is installed
    Check the installed programs list in Windows Settings, or run 'Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion' in PowerShell to list installed software and versions
    Affected if PDF-XChange Editor appears in the installed programs list
  2. Confirm the exact version of PDF-XChange Editor
    Locate the installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\PDF-XChange\PDF-XChange Editor) and check the version.properties file, or right-click the executable and view Properties > Details for the File Version
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 9.5.368.0
  3. Identify if PDF-XChange Pdf Tools is installed
    Run 'Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion' in PowerShell to search for 'PDF-XChange Pdf Tools' entry
    Affected if PDF-XChange Pdf Tools version 9.5.368.0 is installed
  4. Verify the U3D parser module is present
    Check for the presence of U3D-related DLL files in the application directory, or examine the application's parser modules for 3D content handling capabilities
    Affected if The application includes U3D (Universal 3D) parsing functionality for PDF files

A user is affected if they have PDF-XChange Editor or PDF-XChange Pdf Tools version 9.5.368.0 installed and routinely open PDF files from untrusted or unknown 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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Avoid opening untrusted or specially crafted PDF files from unknown sources. Apply vendor patches for PDF-XChange Editor when available to remediate this vulnerability.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Latest available version of PDF-XChange Editor from www.tracker-software.com (version higher than 9.5.368.0)

  1. 1. Visit the official Tracker Software website at www.tracker-software.com to download the latest version of PDF-XChange Editor
  2. 2. Navigate to the PDF-XChange Editor download page
  3. 3. Download the most recent version of PDF-XChange Editor available
  4. 4. Close PDF-XChange Editor if it is currently running
  5. 5. Install the downloaded update following the on-screen prompts
  6. 6. Verify the version number reflects the update (should be higher than 9.5.368.0)
  7. 7. Avoid opening untrusted or unexpected U3D files from untrusted sources as an additional precaution

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

Fix this in Pdf Tools Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $910
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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-2023-42057 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