CVE-2025-6645
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 U3D File Parsing 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 parsing of U3D files. 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-26642.
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 confidenceA use-after-free vulnerability exists in PDF-XChange Editor's U3D file parser due to missing validation of object existence before operations. An attacker can exploit this by crafting a malicious U3D file that, when opened, allows arbitrary 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= 10.5.2.395= 10.5.2.395CVSS 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 installedOpen Windows Settings > Apps > Installed apps and search for 'PDF-XChange Editor' or check Program Files for the installation directory (usually C:\Program Files\PDF-XChange Editor or C:\Program Files (x86)\PDF-XChange Editor)Affected if PDF-XChange Editor is present on the system
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Determine installed version numberRight-click the PDF-XChange Editor executable (pdfxcview.exe or PDFXEdit.exe), select Properties, then go to the Details tab to view the Product Version. Alternatively, launch the application and go to Help > About PDF-XChange EditorAffected if The installed version is exactly 10.5.2.395
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Verify U3D file parsing capability existsCheck if the application can open or render U3D (Universal 3D) content by attempting to open a PDF containing a U3D 3D object, or check the application's feature list for 3D support. U3D files typically have .u3d extension and may be embedded in PDFs.Affected if U3D support is present and the application can parse U3D content
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Check for recent U3D file activityReview Windows Event Viewer Security logs for PDF-XChange Editor process (pdfxcview.exe) activity, or check browser/download folders for recently downloaded PDF files that may contain U3D attachmentsAffected if The user has opened or attempted to open a PDF file containing a U3D object
A user is affected if PDF-XChange Editor version 10.5.2.395 is installed with U3D parsing capability enabled and a malicious U3D file is opened.
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 dataUsers should avoid opening untrusted PDF files or U3D attachments until a vendor patch is available; deploy email/web filtering for unsolicited file attachments.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 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-2025-6645 — 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-2025-6645 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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