dbcve.org
Power PdfApplication · Tungstenautomation

CVE-2023-51608

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2024-05-03
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.0.0.19 or later.
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
Kofax Power PDF J2K File Parsing Memory Corruption 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 J2K 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-21833.

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

Memory corruption vulnerability in Kofax Power PDF's J2K (JPEG 2000) file parser due to insufficient validation of user-supplied data during file parsing. Successful exploitation allows remote code execution in the context of the current user process. Requires user to open a malicious J2K file.

MitigationApply vendor patch when available. Until then, block or warn on untrusted J2K file attachments, disable automatic opening of J2K files in the application, and train users not to open files from untrusted 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
Power PdfApplication
Affected:< 5.0.0.19

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:3.0/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 Power PDF is installed
    Open Control Panel > Programs and Features, or run 'Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion' in PowerShell to list installed software
    Affected if Tungstenautomation Power PDF or Kofax Power PDF appears in the installed programs list
  2. Determine the installed version
    Right-click the Power PDF application shortcut, select Properties, and check the 'Details' tab for version information, or use the PowerShell command to query the installed version from the registry
    Affected if The displayed version number is lower than 5.0.0.19
  3. Verify J2K file handling capability
    Open Power PDF and attempt to open a .j2k or .jp2 file, or check File > Open dialog for supported file types
    Affected if The application can open and parse JPEG 2000 image files (j2k, jp2 extensions)
  4. Check for recent file processing activity
    Review application logs in %APPDATA%\Kofax\Power PDF\Logs or Windows Event Viewer for recent J2K file opens
    Affected if Logs show recent opening of J2K/JP2 files from untrusted sources

A user is affected if Power PDF is installed with a version lower than 5.0.0.19 and the application processes JPEG 2000 files.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 5.0.0.19 or later
Fixed in 5.0.0.19
Interim mitigation

Apply vendor patch when available. Until then, block or warn on untrusted J2K file attachments, disable automatic opening of J2K files in the application, and train users not to open files from untrusted sources.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Power PDF version 5.0.0.19 or later

  1. Upgrade Power PDF to version 5.0.0.19 or later
  2. Avoid opening untrusted J2K files from unknown sources
  3. Keep the software updated with latest security patches

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

Fix this in Power Pdf Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,600
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,160.

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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-2023-51608 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