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Pdf EditorApplication · Foxit

CVE-2024-9255

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-11-22
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 2024.2.3.25184 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 Annotation 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 Annotation objects. 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-25174.

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

A Use-After-Free vulnerability exists in Foxit PDF Reader's Annotation object handling. The application fails to validate object existence before performing operations on annotation objects, allowing an attacker to manipulate memory after an object has been freed. This enables arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user process when a victim opens a malicious PDF or visits a crafted webpage.

MitigationUpdate Foxit PDF Reader to the latest version containing the security patch. Until then, exercise caution with PDF files from untrusted sources and consider disabling the PDF browser plugin to prevent drive-by attacks.

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:<= 11.2.10.53951>= 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:<= 2024.2.3.25184

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. Check installed Foxit PDF Reader version
    Open Foxit PDF Reader, then navigate to Help > About Foxit Reader (or press Ctrl+Alt+F5). The version number displays in the dialog box that appears.
    Affected if The displayed version is 2024.2.3.25184 or earlier (any version listed in the affected ranges).
  2. Verify version via Windows Programs and Features
    Open Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features (or Settings > Apps > Installed apps). Locate 'Foxit PDF Reader' in the list and note the version shown in the Version column.
    Affected if The version shown is 2024.2.3.25184 or earlier.
  3. Check Foxit Editor version if installed
    If using Foxit PDF Editor instead of Reader, open the application and go to Help > About Foxit PDF Editor. Note the version displayed.
    Affected if The version falls within any of the affected ranges: <= 11.2.10.53951, >= 12.0 and <= 12.1.7.15526, >= 13.0 and <= 13.1.3.22478, >= 2023.0 and <= 2023.3.0.23028, or >= 2024.0 and <= 2024.2.3.25184.

A user is affected if Foxit PDF Reader version is 2024.2.3.25184 or earlier, or Foxit PDF Editor version falls within any of the listed affected ranges.

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 2024.2.3.25184
Interim mitigation

Update Foxit PDF Reader to the latest version containing the security patch. Until then, exercise caution with PDF files from untrusted sources and consider disabling the PDF browser plugin to prevent drive-by attacks.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Pdf Reader: 2024.2.4 or later; Pdf Editor: 11.2.11 or later, 12.1.8 or later, 13.1.4 or later, 2023.3.1 or later (or migrate to latest 2024 release)

  1. Navigate to the official Foxit website at www.foxit.com and locate the Downloads or Support section
  2. Identify your current product (Pdf Reader or Pdf Editor) and version number
  3. Download the latest version of Foxit Pdf Reader or Pdf Editor from the official Foxit website
  4. Close any running instances of Foxit PDF applications
  5. Install the downloaded update by following the installation wizard prompts
  6. Restart your computer if prompted by the installer
  7. Verify the installed version by opening Foxit and checking Help > About Foxit Reader/Editor
Caveat Minor: May require accepting new license agreement; ensure compatibility with any integrated PDF tools or plugins

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-2024-9255 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