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Pdf ToolsApplication · Pdf Xchange

CVE-2023-42059

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 Use-After-Free 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 validating the existence of an object prior to performing operations on the object. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. . Was ZDI-CAN-20932.

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

Use-after-free vulnerability in PDF-XChange Editor's U3D file parser. The software fails to validate object existence before operations, allowing a freed object to be accessed, leading to arbitrary code execution in the current process context.

MitigationDo not open untrusted or malicious U3D files in PDF-XChange Editor. Apply vendor patches when available.

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. Verify PDF-XChange Editor is installed
    Check your system for the presence of PDF-XChange Editor application. Look in Program Files for 'PDF-XChange Editor' folder or check Add/Remove Programs list.
    Affected if PDF-XChange Editor version 9.5.368.0 is installed on the system
  2. Check PDF-XChange Editor version number
    Open PDF-XChange Editor and navigate to Help > About, or right-click the executable (PDFXEdit.exe) and select Properties > Details to view the File Version.
    Affected if The version displayed is exactly 9.5.368.0
  3. Verify PDF-XChange PDF Tools is installed
    Check Add/Remove Programs or look for PDF-XChange PDF Tools in your installed applications list.
    Affected if PDF-XChange PDF Tools version 9.5.368.0 is installed
  4. Check PDF-XChange PDF Tools version
    Locate the main executable or DLL for PDF-XChange PDF Tools, right-click and view Properties > Details for the File Version.
    Affected if The version is exactly 9.5.368.0

You are affected if either PDF-XChange Editor or PDF-XChange PDF Tools version 9.5.368.0 is installed and you open untrusted U3D files in the application.

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

Do not open untrusted or malicious U3D files in PDF-XChange Editor. Apply vendor patches when available.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Latest version of PDF-XChange Editor (newer than 9.5.368.0) from https://www.tracker-software.com/product/pdf-xchange-editor

  1. 1. Visit the official PDF-XChange Editor download page at https://www.tracker-software.com/product/pdf-xchange-editor
  2. 2. Download the latest version of PDF-XChange Editor
  3. 3. Uninstall the current version 9.5.368.0 from your system
  4. 4. Install the newly downloaded version which contains the security fix
Caveat Minor - Standard upgrade with no expected breaking changes for typical usage

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

Fix this in Pdf Tools Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
17.0 hours of engineering $3,000
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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-2023-42059 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