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Pdf ToolsApplication · Pdf Xchange

CVE-2023-42075

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 JPG 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 JPG 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-21691.

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

A use-after-free vulnerability exists in PDF-XChange Editor's JPG file parsing routine. The software fails to validate the existence of an object before performing operations on it, allowing an attacker to manipulate memory after an object has been freed. This can be leveraged to achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the current process when a user opens a malicious JPG file.

MitigationApply vendor patches or update PDF-XChange Editor to the latest version. Avoid opening untrusted JPG files from unknown sources.

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:= 10.0.1.371
Pdf Xchange EditorApplication
Affected:= 10.0.1.371

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. Check if PDF-XChange Editor is installed
    Open the application or check the installed programs list in Windows Control Panel under Programs and Features
    Affected if PDF-XChange Editor appears in the installed programs list
  2. Determine the installed version of PDF-XChange Editor
    In the application, go to Help > About PDF-XChange Editor, or right-click the executable in Program Files and select Properties > Details to view the File Version
    Affected if The version displayed is 10.0.1.371
  3. Check if PDF-XChange PDF Tools is installed
    Check Program Files for the PDF-Tools folder or review installed programs for 'PDF-XChange PDF Tools'
    Affected if PDF-XChange PDF Tools version 10.0.1.371 is installed
  4. Verify the JPG parsing component version
    Locate the main executable (PDFXEdit.exe or PDFTools.exe) and check its version property in the file properties dialog
    Affected if The executable file version matches 10.0.1.371

You are affected if PDF-XChange Editor or PDF-XChange PDF Tools version 10.0.1.371 is installed and you open untrusted JPG files with the software.

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

Apply vendor patches or update PDF-XChange Editor to the latest version. Avoid opening untrusted JPG files from unknown sources.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Latest available version from https://www.tracker-software.com/product/pdf-xchange-editor (greater than 10.0.1.371)

  1. Navigate to the official PDF-XChange Editor download page at https://www.tracker-software.com/product/pdf-xchange-editor
  2. Download the latest version of PDF-XChange Editor
  3. Install the update following the on-screen prompts
  4. Verify the installed version is later than 10.0.1.371

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
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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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-2023-42075 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