CVE-2024-5511
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 JP2 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 JP2 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 object. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-22020.
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 confidenceThe vulnerability is an out-of-bounds read in Kofax Power PDF's JP2 file parser caused by insufficient validation of user-supplied data during JP2 parsing. An attacker can craft a malicious JP2 file that reads past the end of an allocated memory object, 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< 5.0.0.21CVSS 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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Identify installed Power PDF versionLocate the Power PDF installation directory and check the version information in the executable properties, or run 'Get-ItemProperty' on the installed application in Windows Registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for Power PDFAffected if The displayed version is lower than 5.0.0.21
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Confirm JP2 parsing capability is presentVerify that the Power PDF installation includes JP2 (JPEG 2000) image handling libraries by checking for jpcdec.dll, jp2klib.dll, or similar JP2-related DLLs in the Power PDF program folderAffected if JP2 handling DLLs are present and the version check above shows vulnerability
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Check for recent JP2 file processing activityReview Power PDF application logs, Windows Event Viewer for Application logs, or any available audit logs for entries involving .jp2 file processing within the applicationAffected if Logs show recent processing of JP2 files using the affected product version
A user is affected if Tungstenautomation Power PDF is installed with a version lower than 5.0.0.21 and the system processes JP2 image 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 · scoped5.0.0.21
Apply vendor patches when available; until then, avoid opening untrusted JP2 files and implement endpoint detection rules to monitor for anomalous PDF processing behavior.
Power PDF 5.0.0.21 or later
- Identify the current version of Kofax Power PDF installed on the system via Help > About or Programs and Features
- Back up any critical PDF documents and application settings before proceeding with the update
- Navigate to the official Kofax website or trusted download portal to obtain Power PDF version 5.0.0.21 or later
- Download the installer for the updated version compatible with your operating system
- Run the installer and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the upgrade
- Restart the application after installation completes
- Verify the installed version by checking Help > About to confirm version 5.0.0.21 or higher is now running
- Test with a benign JP2 file to confirm the application functions correctly after the update
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-5511 — 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-2024-5511 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
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