dbcve.org
Power PdfApplication · Tungstenautomation

CVE-2024-5304

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-06-06
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.0.0.18 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 TGA File Parsing Out-Of-Bounds Write 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 TGA files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a write 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-22920.

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 write vulnerability in its TGA (Truevision Graphics Adapter) image file parser. The parser fails to properly validate user-supplied data before writing to memory, allowing an attacker to write beyond allocated buffer boundaries. Successful exploitation enables arbitrary code execution within the context of the current process, but requires the victim to open a malicious TGA file.

MitigationApply the vendor-provided patch for CVE-2024-5304 immediately. Until patch availability, instruct users to avoid opening untrusted TGA files from unknown sources and consider deploying endpoint detection solutions to monitor for suspicious file processing activity.

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:< 5.0.0.18

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 Power PDF is installed
    Check for Kofax Power PDF or Tungstenautomation Power PDF in Windows Add/Remove Programs, or search for the executable (PowerPDF.exe) in program directories like C:\Program Files\Kofax or C:\Program Files\Tungsten Automation
    Affected if The application is not installed - no vulnerability exists
  2. Determine installed version number
    Right-click PowerPDF.exe in the installation directory, select Properties, then view the Details tab for Product Version; alternatively, open Power PDF and check Help > About
    Affected if Unable to determine version - cannot confirm patch status
  3. Compare version against vulnerable range
    Compare the installed version to the affected range: any version below 5.0.0.18 is vulnerable (for example, 5.0.0.17, 4.0.x, 3.x, etc.)
    Affected if Installed version is 5.0.0.17 or lower, or any 4.x/3.x release indicating the patch has not been applied
  4. Confirm TGA file handling is possible
    The TGA parser is a built-in component of Power PDF image processing; no additional configuration check needed - if Power PDF is installed, the parser is available
    Affected if This is a built-in parser and cannot be disabled; exposure exists for any vulnerable version when opening TGA files

You are affected if Power PDF or Tungstenautomation Power PDF is installed with any version lower than 5.0.0.18, and users in your environment open TGA image 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 5.0.0.18 or later
Fixed in 5.0.0.18
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-provided patch for CVE-2024-5304 immediately. Until patch availability, instruct users to avoid opening untrusted TGA files from unknown sources and consider deploying endpoint detection solutions to monitor for suspicious file processing activity.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Kofax Power PDF 5.0.0.18 or later

  1. Identify the current installed version of Kofax Power PDF
  2. Navigate to the official Kofax support or download page to obtain the latest version
  3. Download and install Power PDF version 5.0.0.18 or later
  4. Verify the installation was successful and the version number reflects the update
Caveat Ensure compatibility with existing workflows as this is a major version upgrade; review release notes for any feature changes

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

Fix this in Power Pdf Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,640
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,224.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2024-5304 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