dbcve.org
Power PdfApplication · Tungstenautomation

CVE-2024-27338

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-04-03
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.0.0.17 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 app response 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 implementation of the app.response method. 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-22588.

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

Kofax Power PDF contains an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in the app.response method. The flaw exists due to insufficient validation of user-supplied data, allowing an attacker to read past the end of an allocated memory object. Successful exploitation requires user interaction (opening a malicious file or visiting a malicious webpage), leading to arbitrary code execution in the context of the current process.

MitigationUsers should avoid opening untrusted PDF files or visiting untrusted websites until a vendor patch is available. Organizations should assess where Kofax Power PDF is deployed and implement compensating controls such as endpoint protection and user awareness training.

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:< 5.0.0.17

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 Kofax Power PDF is installed
    Check for the application in the installed programs list (Windows: Control Panel > Programs and Features, or search for 'Power PDF' in the Start menu)
    Affected if Kofax Power PDF or Tungstenautomation Power PDF appears in installed applications
  2. Identify the installed version
    Right-click the Power PDF executable (typically in C:\Program Files\Kofax\Power PDF or C:\Program Files\Tungsten Automation\Power PDF), select Properties, and check the File Version under the Details tab. Alternatively, open Power PDF and go to Help > About
    Affected if The version number displayed is lower than 5.0.0.17
  3. Confirm the version format matches vendor notation
    Compare the full version string (for example, 5.0.0.12 or 4.0.0.45) against the affected range < 5.0.0.17
    Affected if The version starts with a number less than 5, or starts with 5.x.x.x but the full version is below 5.0.0.17

A user is affected if Kofax Power PDF is installed and the installed version is any version lower than 5.0.0.17, as this vulnerability exists in the app.response method of those versions.

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 5.0.0.17 or later
Fixed in 5.0.0.17
Interim mitigation

Users should avoid opening untrusted PDF files or visiting untrusted websites until a vendor patch is available. Organizations should assess where Kofax Power PDF is deployed and implement compensating controls such as endpoint protection and user awareness training.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Power PDF 5.0.0.17 or later

  1. Navigate to the official Kofax support website or Power PDF download page to obtain the latest version
  2. Download Power PDF version 5.0.0.17 or later (the fixed release)
  3. Close any running instances of Power PDF
  4. Run the installer and follow the prompts to upgrade the software
  5. After installation, verify the version number in Power PDF (typically found in Help > About)

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
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $2,000
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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-2024-27338 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