CVE-2025-2231
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 RTF File Parsing Out-Of-Bounds Read 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 parsing of RTF files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a read past the end of an allocated buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-25473.
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 confidencePDF-XChange Editor contains an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in its RTF file parsing functionality due to insufficient validation of user-supplied data. This allows an attacker to read past the end of an allocated buffer, which can be leveraged to achieve remote code execution in the context of the current process.
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= 10.5.1.394= 10.5.1.394CVSS 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 if PDF-XChange Editor is installedLook for the application in Program Files (typically C:\Program Files\PDF-XChange 10\ or C:\Program Files\PDF-XChange Editor 10\) or check the Windows Registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\PDF-XChange and HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\PDF-XChangeAffected if The software is found to be installed on the system
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Identify the installed version of PDF-XChange Editor or PDF ToolsRight-click the executable (PDFXEdit.exe or PDFXCview.exe) in the installation directory, select Properties, and check the File Version on the Details tab. Alternatively, run the application and go to Help > About to display the version informationAffected if The installed version matches 10.5.1.394 exactly
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Verify the RTF file handling component is presentCheck for the presence of RTF-related DLLs or modules in the application directory (such as any file with 'rtf' in the name or related parsing libraries)Affected if RTF parsing components exist in the installation directory and the software handles RTF files
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Confirm default file association for RTF filesCheck Windows default program settings or registry under HKCR\.rtf to see if PDF-XChange Editor is set as the default handler for RTF filesAffected if PDF-XChange Editor is configured as the default application for opening RTF files
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Determine if users can open untrusted RTF filesReview system policies, terminal services configurations, or shared workstation setups to see if standard users can double-click RTF files to open them in PDF-XChange EditorAffected if Users have the ability to open RTF files directly using PDF-XChange Editor without additional warnings or restrictions
A user is affected if PDF-XChange Editor or PDF-XChange PDF Tools version 10.5.1.394 is installed and users can open RTF files using this software, as the vulnerability is triggered during RTF parsing.
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 dataApply vendor patches from PDF-XChange Editor as they become available. Until then, restrict user ability to open untrusted RTF files and consider using alternative PDF readers for high-risk workflows.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-2231 — 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-2025-2231 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
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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