CVE-2025-14420
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 CBZ File Parsing Directory Traversal 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 parsing of CBZ files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of a user-supplied path prior to using it in file operations. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current user. Was ZDI-CAN-27514.
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 confidenceThis is a directory traversal vulnerability in PDF Architect's CBZ (Comic Book ZIP) file parser. The parser fails to validate user-supplied paths before performing file operations, allowing an attacker to use path traversal sequences (e.g., '../') within a malicious CBZ file to write content to arbitrary filesystem locations. This can lead to remote code execution if the attacker writes executable code to startup or system locations.
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
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/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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Check installed Pdf Architect versionOpen Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, find PDF Architect in the list, and check the Version column. Alternatively, right-click the application in Start menu and select Properties, or check Help > About within the application.Affected if The installed version is exactly 9.1.74.23030
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Verify CBZ file handling is enabledCheck Windows Default Apps settings to see if .cbz file extension is associated with Pdf Architect, or inspect the application's file handling preferences under Edit > Options > File Associations.Affected if CBZ file extension is associated with Pdf Architect as the default handler
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Inspect for unexpected file creations in sensitive locationsUse File Explorer or command line to examine %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup and %PROGRAMDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup folders. Check creation dates of files in these directories.Affected if Unexpected executable or script files appear in startup folders with recent timestamps after opening CBZ files
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Check application logs for CBZ parsing anomaliesNavigate to %APPDATA%\pdfforge\PDF Architect\logs and examine recent log files for entries related to CBZ file processing, especially errors mentioning path traversal or file write operations.Affected if Logs contain errors related to CBZ path validation or unauthorized file write attempts
You are affected if you have Pdf Architect version 9.1.74.23030 installed and the application is configured to handle CBZ 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.
From vendor dataDo not open CBZ files from untrusted sources. Wait for the vendor's official patch to address the path validation issue.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-14420 — 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-2025-14420 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
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