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Pdf ToolsApplication · Pdf Xchange

CVE-2024-8814

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-11-22
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
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
PDF-XChange Editor U3D File Parsing Out-Of-Bounds Read Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of PDF-XChange Editor. 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 U3D 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 buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-24209.

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

PDF-XChange Editor contains an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in U3D file parsing due to insufficient validation of user-supplied data. This allows reading past the end of an allocated buffer and can be leveraged for remote code execution in the context of the current process. Exploitation requires user interaction such as opening a malicious PDF file.

MitigationAvoid opening untrusted or unknown PDF files, especially those containing U3D content, and apply vendor patches from PDF-XChange Editor when available.

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 ToolsApplication
Affected:= 10.3.0.386
Pdf Xchange EditorApplication
Affected:= 10.3.0.386

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 PDF-XChange Editor is installed
    Check for the presence of PDF-XChange Editor executable or check installed programs list. Typical install path: C:\Program Files\PDF-XChange\PDF-XChange Editor\ or check registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PDF-XChange
    Affected if PDF-XChange Editor is found on the system
  2. Identify installed version
    Right-click the PDF-XChange Editor executable (PDFXCview.exe or similar), select Properties, and check the File Version field. Or run: Get-ItemProperty 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*' | Where-Object {$_.DisplayName -like '*PDF-XChange*'} | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion
    Affected if Version displayed is 10.3.0.386
  3. Confirm U3D file parsing capability exists
    The vulnerability exists in U3D (Universal 3D) parsing functionality within the software. This feature is built into the standard Editor installation. Check if the application can open PDF files containing 3D content (U3D is a standard 3D format supported by PDF-XChange Editor)
    Affected if PDF-XChange Editor can parse PDF files with embedded U3D content (default behavior)
  4. Check for suspicious PDF files with U3D content
    Inspect any recently opened or received PDF files for U3D stream objects. Use a PDF parsing tool or hex editor to look for '/U3D' stream markers in PDF files. Check user's recent documents folder for PDFs that may contain 3D content
    Affected if User has opened or has access to PDF files containing U3D objects from untrusted sources

User is affected if PDF-XChange Editor version 10.3.0.386 is installed and the user opens a malicious PDF file containing specially crafted U3D content, as the vulnerability is triggered during U3D parsing without user interaction beyond file opening.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Avoid opening untrusted or unknown PDF files, especially those containing U3D content, and apply vendor patches from PDF-XChange Editor when available.

Fix this in Pdf Tools Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,640
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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-2024-8814 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
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