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Pdf ToolsApplication · Pdf Xchange

CVE-2024-8835

MEDIUM · 5.5 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 →
58/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 JB2 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 JB2 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-24320.

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 · moderate confidence

This is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in PDF-XChange Editor's JB2 image file parser. The flaw exists due to insufficient validation of user-supplied data during JB2 parsing, allowing an attacker to read past the end of an allocated memory object. This can disclose sensitive information from process memory and when chained with other vulnerabilities may enable arbitrary code execution.

MitigationUsers should avoid opening untrusted JB2 files or visiting malicious pages until a vendor patch is released. Organizations may consider sandboxing or restricting PDF-XChange Editor when processing documents from untrusted sources.

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
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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check if PDF-XChange Editor is installed
    Open the application and go to Help > About, or check Program Files for 'PDF-XChange Editor' folder and look for the version information in the executable properties
    Affected if The installed version is 10.3.0.386
  2. Check if PDF-XChange PDF Tools is installed
    Look for installed PDF-XChange PDF Tools components via Windows Programs and Features, or check common installation paths like C:\Program Files\PDF-XChange
    Affected if The installed version is 10.3.0.386
  3. Verify exact version number
    Right-click the executable (pdfxcview.exe for Editor or pdf tools binaries) and select Properties > Details to view the File Version
    Affected if File version shows exactly 10.3.0.386
  4. Confirm JB2 file parsing capability
    Attempt to open or process a JB2 format image file (common in PDF documents) using the installed application
    Affected if The application can parse JB2 images and the version is 10.3.0.386

You are affected if PDF-XChange Editor or PDF-XChange PDF Tools version 10.3.0.386 is installed and processes JB2 image files from untrusted sources.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Users should avoid opening untrusted JB2 files or visiting malicious pages until a vendor patch is released. Organizations may consider sandboxing or restricting PDF-XChange Editor when processing documents from untrusted sources.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

PDF-XChange Editor and PDF Tools latest version (newer than 10.3.0.386) - check vendor release notes for specific patch version containing the fix for ZDI-CAN-24320

  1. 1. Check the current installed version of PDF-XChange Editor or PDF Tools by navigating to Help > About
  2. 2. If the version is 10.3.0.386, download and install the latest version from the official PDF-XChange website (www.pdf-xchange.com)
  3. 3. Alternatively, use the built-in updater if available (Help > Check for Updates)
  4. 4. Verify the new version number after installation
  5. 5. Ensure JB2 file parsing functionality works correctly after the update
Caveat Review release notes for any changes to JB2 file handling or backward compatibility with older PDF documents

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

Fix this in Pdf Tools Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
32.0 hours of engineering $5,600
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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-2024-8835 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