CVE-2025-0899
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 AcroForm Use-After-Free 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 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-25349.
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 a use-after-free vulnerability in PDF-XChange Editor's AcroForm handling. The flaw exists due to lack of validation of object existence before performing operations on it, allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process via a specially crafted malicious PDF file.
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< 10.4.1.389CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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.
-
Check if PDF-XChange Editor is installedLook for the application in Program Files (typically C:\Program Files\PDF-XChange\PDF-XChange Editor or similar), or check the Windows registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for entries containing 'PDF-XChange Editor'Affected if PDF-XChange Editor is found installed on the system
-
Determine the installed version of PDF-XChange EditorRight-click the executable (PDFXCview.exe or similar) in the installation folder, select Properties, then view the Details tab for the version number. Alternatively, run the executable and check Help > AboutAffected if The installed version is lower than 10.4.1.389
-
Verify AcroForm functionality is availableOpen PDF-XChange Editor and attempt to open a PDF file containing AcroForm fields, or check if the application has modules related to forms processing loadedAffected if AcroForm features are accessible and the version is below 10.4.1.389
-
Check for recent PDF processing activityReview the application's recent documents list or Windows Prefetch/temp files for evidence of opening PDF files from untrusted sourcesAffected if PDF files from untrusted sources have been opened with a vulnerable version
The environment is affected if PDF-XChange Editor version 10.4.1.389 or higher is not installed and the application has been used to open PDF files.
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 · scoped10.4.1.389
Users should avoid opening untrusted PDF files and update to the patched version of PDF-XChange Editor when released. Organizations should consider blocking or sandboxing untrusted PDF files until patches are applied.
10.4.1.389
- Obtain PDF-XChange Editor version 10.4.1.389 or later from the vendor's official distribution channels
- Install the updated version of PDF-XChange Editor following standard installation procedures
- Restart the application if it was running during the update
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing16.0 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 $10,368.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-0899 — 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-2025-0899 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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