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Pdf EditorApplication · Foxit

CVE-2024-9243

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-11-22
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 2024.2.3.64402 or later.
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
Foxit PDF Reader AcroForm Doc Use-After-Free Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Foxit PDF Reader. 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 handling of AcroForms. The issue results from the lack of validating the existence of an object prior to performing operations on the object. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-23932.

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

Use-after-free vulnerability in Foxit PDF Reader's AcroForm handling. The software fails to validate object existence before operations, allowing arbitrary code execution in the current process context when a user opens a maliciously crafted PDF.

MitigationUpdate Foxit PDF Reader to the latest vendor patch. Until patched, avoid opening untrusted PDF files and disable JavaScript execution in the reader.

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 EditorApplication
Affected:<= 11.1.9.0524>= 12.0, <= 12.1.5.55449>= 13.0, <= 13.1.2.62201>= 2023.0, <= 2023.3.0.63083>= 2024.0, <= 2024.2.3.64402<= 11.2.10.53951>= 12.0, <= 12.1.7.15526>= 13.0, <= 13.1.3.22478>= 2023.0, <= 2023.3.0.23028>= 2024.0, <= 2024.2.3.25184
Pdf ReaderApplication
Affected:<= 2024.2.2.64388<= 2024.2.3.25184

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. Identify Foxit PDF product installation
    Check for installed Foxit PDF Reader or Foxit PDF Editor by looking in Program Files (C:\Program Files\Foxit Software\) or reviewing installed programs in Control Panel. Note the exact product name installed.
    Affected if Either Foxit PDF Reader or Foxit PDF Editor is installed on the system
  2. Determine installed version of Foxit PDF product
    In Foxit, go to Help > About Foxit PDF Reader (or Editor). The version number displays in the format such as 2024.2.3.XXXXX or 13.1.x.xxxx. Alternatively, right-click the Foxit executable in Program Files, select Properties, and view the File version.
    Affected if The installed version falls within any of the affected ranges: <= 11.1.9.0524; >= 12.0, <= 12.1.5.55449; >= 13.0, <= 13.1.2.62201; >= 2023.0, <= 2023.3.0.63083; >= 2024.0, <= 2024.2.3.64402 (Editor) or <= 2024.2.2.64388 / <= 2024.2.3.25184 (Reader)
  3. Verify AcroForm functionality is accessible
    Open Foxit PDF Reader/Editor and attempt to open a PDF with AcroForm fields (File > Open). Check if Form > Form Fields or similar AcroForm options appear in the toolbar. The vulnerability triggers when processing PDF files containing AcroForm objects.
    Affected if AcroForm features are available and PDFs with forms can be opened and processed by the software
  4. Confirm JavaScript execution status
    In Foxit, go to Edit > Preferences > JavaScript. Check if JavaScript is enabled. This is relevant because the mitigation recommends disabling JavaScript, though the vulnerability itself is in AcroForm object handling.
    Affected if JavaScript is enabled in the Foxit preferences (the mitigation suggests disabling it as a defense-in-depth measure)

The system is affected if Foxit PDF Reader or Foxit PDF Editor is installed and the installed version matches any of the vulnerable version ranges, particularly when using AcroForm functionality with untrusted PDFs.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 2024.2.3.64402
Interim mitigation

Update Foxit PDF Reader to the latest vendor patch. Until patched, avoid opening untrusted PDF files and disable JavaScript execution in the reader.

Recommended fix High confidence

PDF Editor: upgrade to 11.1.9.0525, 12.1.5.55450, 13.1.2.62202, or 2023.3.0.63084 (or later) | PDF Reader: upgrade to 2024.2.3.25185 (or later)

  1. 1. Open Foxit PDF Reader or PDF Editor application
  2. 2. Click on 'Help' in the menu bar
  3. 3. Select 'Check for Updates' or 'About Foxit' to check the current version
  4. 4. If an update is available, download and install the latest version
  5. 5. Alternatively, visit the official Foxit Software website and download the latest version from their downloads section
  6. 6. Verify the version number matches or exceeds the fixed releases: PDF Editor 11.1.9.0525 or later, 12.1.5.55450 or later, 13.1.2.62202 or later, 2023.3.0.63084 or later; PDF Reader 2024.2.3.25185 or later
Caveat Minor version upgrades typically include bug fixes and security patches with minimal risk; review release notes for any functionality changes

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

Fix this in Pdf Editor Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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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-2024-9243 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