CVE-2023-51606
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 · uneditedKofax Power PDF U3D File Parsing Out-Of-Bounds Read Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Kofax Power PDF. 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 buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. . Was ZDI-CAN-21759.
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 confidenceThis is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Kofax Power PDF's U3D file parser. The lack of proper validation of user-supplied data during U3D file parsing allows an attacker to read past the end of an allocated buffer, which can be leveraged to achieve remote 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< 5.0.0.19CVSS 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 Power PDF versionLocate the Power PDF installation directory and check the version information. This is typically found in the program's main executable properties (right-click on the .exe file and select Properties > Details), or by opening Power PDF and navigating to Help > About. Compare the version number against 5.0.0.19.Affected if The installed version is lower than 5.0.0.19
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Confirm U3D parsing capability is presentVerify that Power PDF has the ability to process U3D content. U3D (Universal 3D) is a file format for 3D models often embedded in PDF documents. Check if the installation includes the U3D parser component by examining the installed plugins or features within Power PDF.Affected if U3D parsing functionality is present and the version is vulnerable
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Determine if users can import or open U3D filesTest whether Power PDF can open or import U3D files directly, or whether PDF documents containing embedded U3D objects can be processed. Attempt to open a sample U3D file or a PDF with U3D content if available.Affected if The application can process U3D files and the version is below 5.0.0.19
You are affected if Power PDF is installed with a version lower than 5.0.0.19 and the application has the ability to parse or render U3D 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.
dbcve · scoped5.0.0.19
Apply the vendor patch from Kofax when available. Until then, instruct users to avoid opening untrusted U3D files or visiting malicious pages, as exploitation requires user interaction (opening a malicious file or visiting a malicious page).
Power PDF version 5.0.0.19 or later
- 1. Verify current installed version of Kofax Power PDF by checking Help > About in the application
- 2. Navigate to the official Kofax website or vendor support portal to download the latest version
- 3. Download and install Power PDF version 5.0.0.19 or later
- 4. Restart the application after installation
- 5. Verify the installed version matches or exceeds 5.0.0.19
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-51606 — 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-2023-51606 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data