CVE-2018-20248 – This vulnerability in Foxit Quick PDF Library a... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2018-20248?

CVE-2018-20248 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). This vulnerability in Foxit Quick PDF Library allows attackers to cause memory corruption by loading malicious PDF files with invalid xref table data. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution or application crashes. All users of Foxit Quick PDF Library prior to version 16.12 are affected.

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability in Foxit Quick PDF Library allows attackers to cause memory corruption by loading malicious PDF files with invalid xref table data. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution or application crashes. All users of Foxit Quick PDF Library prior to version 16.12 are affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Foxit Quick PDF Library

Versions: All versions prior to 16.12

Operating Systems: Windows, Linux, macOS

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Any application using the vulnerable library functions (LoadFromFile, LoadFromString, LoadFromStream, DAOpenFile, DAOpenFileReadOnly) is affected

📦 What is this software?

Quick Pdf Library by Foxitsoftware

View all CVEs affecting Quick Pdf Library →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Remote code execution with SYSTEM/root privileges leading to complete system compromise

🟠

Likely Case

Application crash (denial of service) or limited code execution in the context of the PDF library process

🟢

If Mitigated

Application crash with no further impact if memory protections are enabled

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH - PDF files are commonly processed from untrusted internet sources

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Risk exists but attack surface is smaller than internet-facing systems

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

Exploitation requires user interaction to open a malicious PDF file

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 16.12 and later

Vendor Advisory: https://www.foxitsoftware.com/support/security-bulletins.php

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Download Foxit Quick PDF Library version 16.12 or later from official Foxit website. 2. Uninstall previous version. 3. Install updated version. 4. Restart affected applications/services.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Input validation for PDF files

all

Implement strict validation of PDF files before passing to vulnerable library functions

Sandbox PDF processing

all

Run PDF processing in isolated containers or sandboxed environments

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Block PDF files from untrusted sources at network perimeter
Implement application allowlisting to prevent unauthorized PDF processing applications

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check Foxit Quick PDF Library version - if below 16.12, system is vulnerable

Check Version:

Check application documentation or library properties for version information

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify Foxit Quick PDF Library version is 16.12 or higher

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Application crashes with memory access violation errors
Unexpected PDF file processing

Network Indicators:

PDF file downloads from suspicious sources
Unusual PDF file sizes or structures

SIEM Query:

EventID=1000 OR EventID=1001 AND ProcessName contains 'foxit' OR 'pdf' AND ExceptionCode=0xc0000005

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2018-20248

CVSS v3 Score: 9.8 (CRITICAL)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-787

Published: December 24, 2018

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/106306 Third Party Advisory,VDB Entry
https://www.foxitsoftware.com/support/security-bulletins.php Vendor Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/106306 Third Party Advisory,VDB Entry
https://www.foxitsoftware.com/support/security-bulletins.php Vendor Advisory

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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