CVE-2023-38089
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected Kofax Power PDF installations by tricking users into opening malicious PDF files or visiting malicious web pages. The flaw exists in how the software handles app objects, enabling out-of-bounds writes that can lead to remote code execution. Users of vulnerable Kofax Power PDF versions are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Kofax Power PDF
📦 What is this software?
Power Pdf by Tungstenautomation
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with attacker gaining full control of the affected system, data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Malicious code execution in the context of the current user, potentially leading to data exfiltration, credential theft, or installation of additional malware.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper application sandboxing, reduced privileges, and network segmentation preventing lateral movement.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction but no authentication. The vulnerability is publicly disclosed with technical details available.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Not specified in provided references, but vendor likely released patched version
Vendor Advisory: https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-23-962/
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check Kofax Power PDF version
2. Download and install latest version from official Kofax website
3. Restart system after installation
4. Verify update was successful
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable PDF handling in browser
windowsPrevent automatic PDF opening in web browsers to block web-based exploitation vectors
Use alternative PDF viewer
windowsConfigure system to use different PDF software as default handler
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to block unauthorized PDF viewers
- Deploy network segmentation to isolate PDF processing systems
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Kofax Power PDF version against vendor's patched version listCheck Version:
Open Kofax Power PDF → Help → About to view versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify installed version matches or exceeds patched version from vendor advisory📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual PDF file access patterns
- Power PDF crash logs with memory access violations
- Process creation from Power PDF with suspicious command lines
Network Indicators:
- Downloads of PDF files from untrusted sources
- Outbound connections initiated by Power PDF process
SIEM Query:
Process Creation where (Image contains 'powerpdf' OR ParentImage contains 'powerpdf') AND CommandLine contains suspicious patterns