CVE-2025-14418
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 · uneditedpdfforge PDF Architect XLS File Insufficient UI Warning Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of pdfforge PDF Architect. 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 processing of XLS files. The issue results from allowing the execution of dangerous script without user warning. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current user. Was ZDI-CAN-27502.
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 confidenceThe vulnerability exists in PDF Architect's XLS file handling where dangerous scripts can execute without proper user warning. Attackers embed malicious content in XLS files that trigger code execution when opened by victims. User interaction (opening the file) is required, making this a social engineering vector.
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= 9.1.74.23030CVSS 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
- High
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/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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Confirm PDF Architect installationCheck for PDF Architect in installed programs list (Windows: Control Panel > Programs and Features, or run 'Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion' in PowerShell)Affected if PDF Architect appears in the installed programs list
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Identify installed versionLocate the exact version number in the program properties or about section within the application (Help > About in the PDF Architect menu)Affected if The installed version is exactly 9.1.74.23030
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Verify XLS handling capabilityCheck if the XLS conversion or open module is available in PDF Architect by examining the application's supported file types or installed pluginsAffected if XLS file handling capability is present and enabled in the installation
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Review recent XLS file activityCheck the application's recent documents list, temp folders (such as %TEMP%\PDF Architect), or application logs for any recently opened or processed XLS filesAffected if XLS files have been opened or processed using this version of PDF Architect
You are affected if PDF Architect version 9.1.74.23030 is installed and you have opened or process XLS files with it.
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.
From vendor dataAvoid opening untrusted XLS files in PDF Architect until vendor patch is available. Implement user awareness training and consider application control to restrict execution of untrusted attachments.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-14418 — 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-2025-14418 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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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