CVE-2022-37373
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2022-37373 is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in PDF-XChange Editor that allows remote attackers to disclose sensitive information. Attackers can exploit this by tricking users into opening malicious PDF files. This affects users of vulnerable versions of PDF-XChange Editor across all supported operating systems.
💻 Affected Systems
- PDF-XChange Editor
📦 What is this software?
Pdf Xchange Editor by Pdf Xchange
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Information disclosure combined with other vulnerabilities could lead to arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user process.
Likely Case
Sensitive information disclosure from memory, potentially exposing credentials, documents, or system information.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper security controls like application sandboxing and least privilege principles.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening malicious PDF) and may require chaining with other vulnerabilities for code execution.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 9.3.361.0 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.tracker-software.com/product/pdf-xchange-editor/history
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download latest version from tracker-software.com 2. Run installer 3. Restart system 4. Verify version is 9.3.361.0 or higher
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable PDF-XChange as default PDF handler
windowsPrevent automatic opening of PDF files with vulnerable software
Control Panel > Default Programs > Set Default Programs > Choose different PDF viewer
Use application sandboxing
allRun PDF-XChange Editor in restricted environment
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict email filtering to block malicious PDF attachments
- Use alternative PDF viewers that are not affected by this vulnerability
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Open PDF-XChange Editor > Help > About, check if version is below 9.3.361.0Check Version:
On Windows: reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Tracker Software\PDFXEditor3" /v VersionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm version is 9.3.361.0 or higher in About dialog📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes when processing PDF files
- Unusual memory access patterns in application logs
Network Indicators:
- Downloads of PDF files from untrusted sources
- PDF files with unusual structure or size
SIEM Query:
source="*pdf-xchange*" AND (event="crash" OR event="exception")