CVE-2024-8828
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 · uneditedPDF-XChange Editor EMF File Parsing Out-Of-Bounds Read Information Disclosure Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to disclose sensitive information 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 EMF 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 in conjunction with other vulnerabilities to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-24313.
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 confidenceThis is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in PDF-XChange Editor's parsing of EMF (Enhanced Metafile) files. The lack of proper validation of user-supplied data during EMF parsing allows reading past the end of an allocated object, leading to information disclosure. While the primary impact is information disclosure, the advisory notes this can be chained with other vulnerabilities to achieve arbitrary code execution.
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= 10.3.0.386= 10.3.0.386CVSS 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
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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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Verify PDF-XChange Editor is installedOpen the application and check Help > About, or locate the application in Program Files, or check Add/Remove Programs for PDF-XChange EditorAffected if The application is present on the system
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Check installed version of PDF-XChange EditorOpen the application, go to Help > About, and note the version number displayed. Compare this version to 10.3.0.386Affected if The installed version is exactly 10.3.0.386
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Verify PDF-XChange PDF Tools is installedCheck Add/Remove Programs or locate pdfxtc or related executables in Program Files for PDF-XChange PDF ToolsAffected if PDF-XChange PDF Tools is present on the system
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Check version of PDF-XChange PDF ToolsOpen the PDF Tools application or right-click the executable to view Properties > Details for version informationAffected if The installed version is exactly 10.3.0.386
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Confirm EMF file handling capabilityTry to open or import an EMF (Enhanced Metafile) file in PDF-XChange Editor or PDF Tools to confirm the application processes this file typeAffected if The application can open or process EMF files
A user is affected if they have PDF-XChange Editor or PDF Tools version 10.3.0.386 installed and open a maliciously crafted EMF file, as the vulnerability requires parsing of such a file to trigger the out-of-bounds read.
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.
From vendor dataAvoid opening untrusted or unexpected EMF files in PDF-XChange Editor. Monitor for and apply vendor security updates when released.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,656.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-8828 — 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-2024-8828 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data