CVE-2018-19418
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2018-19418 is a command injection vulnerability in Foxit PDF ActiveX that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient security permission controls in the ActiveX component. Users running vulnerable versions of Foxit PDF software with ActiveX enabled are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Foxit PDF ActiveX
📦 What is this software?
Pdf Activex by Foxitsoftware
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with attacker gaining complete control over the victim's machine, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Remote code execution leading to malware installation, credential theft, or system disruption.
If Mitigated
No impact if ActiveX is disabled or the system is patched to version 5.5.1 or later.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening malicious PDF or visiting malicious webpage) but the exploit itself is straightforward once triggered.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 5.5.1 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.foxitsoftware.com/support/security-bulletins.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download Foxit PDF ActiveX version 5.5.1 or later from official Foxit website. 2. Uninstall previous version. 3. Install new version. 4. Restart system.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Foxit PDF ActiveX
windowsPrevent exploitation by disabling the vulnerable ActiveX control
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\ActiveX Compatibility\{D8B4A2F1-62F9-11D4-9D27-005004D3F3D0}" /v "Compatibility Flags" /t REG_DWORD /d 0x400 /f
Disable ActiveX in Internet Explorer
windowsDisable all ActiveX controls to prevent exploitation
Set Internet Explorer security settings to disable ActiveX controls
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable Foxit PDF ActiveX control using group policy or registry settings
- Use application whitelisting to block execution of Foxit PDF ActiveX
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Foxit PDF ActiveX version in Control Panel > Programs and Features or via registry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Foxit Software\Foxit PDF ActiveX\VersionCheck Version:
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Foxit Software\Foxit PDF ActiveX" /v VersionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 5.5.1 or higher using same methods as checking vulnerability📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual process creation from Foxit PDF processes
- Suspicious command execution following PDF file access
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections from Foxit PDF processes to unexpected destinations
- HTTP requests containing shell commands
SIEM Query:
Process Creation where Image contains "foxit" AND CommandLine contains suspicious patterns like cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or wscript.exe