CVE-2024-8842
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 RTF File Parsing Uninitialized Variable 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 RTF files. The issue results from the lack of proper initialization of memory prior to accessing it. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-24481.
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 confidenceAn uninitialized variable vulnerability in PDF-XChange Editor's RTF file parsing allows remote code execution when a user opens a malicious RTF file. The flaw stems from the program accessing memory that was not properly initialized, which can be leveraged by an attacker to execute arbitrary code within 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>= 10.3.0.386, < 10.4.0.388>= 10.3.0.386, < 10.4.0.388CVSS 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 PDF-XChange Editor versionOpen PDF-XChange Editor, go to Help > About, or check the program's file properties (right-click the executable > Properties > Details) to find the version numberAffected if Version is 10.3.0.386 through 10.3.x.x (any version >= 10.3.0.386 and < 10.4.0.388)
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Identify installed PDF-XChange Pdf Tools versionCheck the installed Pdf Tools application version via Help > About or by viewing the installer/ application's file propertiesAffected if Version is 10.3.0.386 through 10.3.x.x (any version >= 10.3.0.386 and < 10.4.0.388)
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Confirm RTF parsing functionality is availableVerify that the installed software can open or process RTF files - check if RTF is listed in supported file formats or attempt to open a benign RTF fileAffected if RTF file handling is enabled and the software can parse RTF documents
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Check for recent file processing activityReview recently opened files in the application or check Windows Recent Items for RTF files opened with PDF-XChange productsAffected if RTF files from untrusted sources were recently opened in the affected version range
The environment is affected if either PDF-XChange Editor or PDF-XChange Pdf Tools is installed with any version from 10.3.0.386 through 10.3.x.x (versions >= 10.3.0.386 but older than 10.4.0.388) and RTF file parsing is available.
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 · scoped10.4.0.388
Avoid opening untrusted or unexpected RTF files, and apply vendor patches for PDF-XChange Editor when available. Users should be cautious about files from untrusted sources.
PDF-XChange Editor / PDF Tools version 10.4.0.388 or later
- 1. Verify the currently installed version of PDF-XChange Editor or PDF Tools by navigating to Help > About in the application
- 2. If the installed version is between 10.3.0.386 and 10.4.0.388 (exclusive), download version 10.4.0.388 or later from the official vendor website
- 3. Close all instances of PDF-XChange Editor or PDF Tools
- 4. Install the updated version (10.4.0.388 or higher) by running the downloaded installer
- 5. Restart the application and confirm the version update was successful via Help > About
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 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-2024-8842 — 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-2024-8842 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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