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Pdf EditorApplication · Foxit

CVE-2024-32488

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-04-15
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 10.1.12.37872 / 11.2.8.53842 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

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
In Foxit PDF Reader and Editor before 2024.1, Local Privilege Escalation could occur during update checks because weak permissions on the update-service folder allow attackers to place crafted DLL files there.

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

Foxit PDF Reader and Editor before 2024.1 contains a local privilege escalation vulnerability where weak file permissions on the application's update-service folder allow local attackers to write crafted malicious DLL files into the folder. When Foxit's update check process runs (typically with elevated privileges), it loads these planted DLLs, enabling the attacker to execute code with elevated privileges.

MitigationUpgrade to Foxit PDF Reader and Editor 2024.1 or later, which addresses the weak permissions issue. Alternatively, restrict write permissions on the update-service folder to prevent unauthorized user placement of DLL files.

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 EditorApplication
Affected:< 10.1.12.37872>= 11.0.0, < 11.2.8.53842>= 12.0.0, < 12.1.4.15400>= 13.0.0, < 13.0.1.21693>= 2023.1.0.15510, < 2023.3.0.23028
Pdf ReaderApplication
Affected:< 2023.3.0.23028

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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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. Identify Foxit PDF installation and version
    Check installed programs for Foxit PDF Reader or Foxit PDF Editor, then locate the executable (typically in Program Files/Foxit) and check its file version property
    Affected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges: < 10.1.12.37872; >= 11.0.0 and < 11.2.8.53842; >= 12.0.0 and < 12.1.4.15400; >= 13.0.0 and < 13.0.1.21693; >= 2023.1.0.15510 and < 2023.3.0.23028 (for Editor), or < 2023.3.0.23028 (for Reader)
  2. Locate the update-service folder
    Search the Foxit installation directory for a folder named 'update-service' or similar directory related to the update mechanism
    Affected if The update-service folder exists within the Foxit installation directory
  3. Check write permissions on the update-service folder
    Use icacls or file Explorer security properties to view permissions on the update-service folder; verify which users or groups have WRITE or WRITE_DAC permissions
    Affected if Non-privileged users or the Users group have WRITE or WRITE_DAC permissions on the folder, allowing them to place files
  4. Verify if Foxit update process runs with elevated privileges
    Check the Foxit update service configuration in Services or Task Scheduler for the account it runs under; confirm if it executes with Administrator or SYSTEM privileges
    Affected if The Foxit update process is configured to run with elevated privileges (as Administrator or SYSTEM account)

A user is affected if Foxit PDF Reader or Editor is installed at an affected version AND the update-service folder has weak write permissions that allow non-privileged users to place DLL files that will be loaded by the elevated update process.

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 10.1.12.37872 / 11.2.8.53842 / 12.1.4.15400 or later
Fixed in 10.1.12.3787211.2.8.5384212.1.4.15400
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to Foxit PDF Reader and Editor 2024.1 or later, which addresses the weak permissions issue. Alternatively, restrict write permissions on the update-service folder to prevent unauthorized user placement of DLL files.

Recommended fix High confidence

Pdf Editor: 10.1.12.37872, 11.2.8.53842, 12.1.4.15400, or 13.0.1.21693 (depending on your release branch); Pdf Reader: 2023.3.0.23028

  1. Identify the currently installed Foxit PDF Reader or Editor version from Help > About
  2. For Pdf Editor 10.x: upgrade to version 10.1.12.37872 or later
  3. For Pdf Editor 11.x: upgrade to version 11.2.8.53842 or later
  4. For Pdf Editor 12.x: upgrade to version 12.1.4.15400 or later
  5. For Pdf Editor 13.x: upgrade to version 13.0.1.21693 or later
  6. For Pdf Reader: upgrade to version 2023.3.0.23028 or later
  7. Restart the application after upgrading
  8. Verify the installed version reflects the patched release
Caveat Review Foxit release notes for any compatibility changes or new feature considerations before upgrading

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

Fix this in Pdf Editor Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,090
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,744.

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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-2024-32488 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