CVE-2021-27269
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on Foxit PhantomPDF installations by tricking users into opening malicious PDF files containing specially crafted U3D objects. The flaw exists due to improper validation of user-supplied data, leading to an out-of-bounds write condition. Users of Foxit PhantomPDF 10.1.0.37527 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Foxit PhantomPDF
📦 What is this software?
Foxit Reader by Foxitsoftware
Phantompdf by Foxitsoftware
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with attacker gaining the same privileges as the current user, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation or remote code execution leading to malware installation, data exfiltration, or system disruption.
If Mitigated
Limited impact due to sandboxing, application hardening, or network segmentation preventing successful exploitation.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction but no authentication. Weaponization is likely given the nature of PDF-based attacks.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 10.1.1 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.foxitsoftware.com/support/security-bulletins.php
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download latest version from Foxit website. 2. Run installer. 3. Restart system. 4. Verify version is 10.1.1 or higher.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable U3D object processing
windowsConfigure Foxit PhantomPDF to disable U3D object rendering in PDF files
Navigate to Edit > Preferences > Security (Enhanced) > Disable U3D support
Use alternative PDF viewer
allTemporarily use a different PDF reader that is not vulnerable
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized code
- Deploy network segmentation to limit lateral movement if exploitation occurs
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Foxit PhantomPDF version in Help > About. If version is 10.1.0.37527, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
wmic product where name="Foxit PhantomPDF" get versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 10.1.1 or higher in Help > About dialog.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Process creation events from Foxit PhantomPDF with unusual command-line arguments
- Crash reports from Foxit PhantomPDF
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections from Foxit PhantomPDF process to suspicious IPs
- DNS requests for known malicious domains
SIEM Query:
process_name="FoxitPhantomPDF.exe" AND (event_id=1 OR event_id=1000)