CVE-2023-38119
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Foxit PDF Reader allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by tricking users into opening malicious PDF files containing specially crafted signature fields. The flaw exists due to improper bounds checking when processing AcroForm signatures, enabling out-of-bounds memory reads that can lead to remote code execution. All users of affected Foxit PDF Reader versions are vulnerable.
💻 Affected Systems
- Foxit PDF Reader
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with attacker gaining the same privileges as the PDF Reader process, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Malicious PDF files delivered via phishing emails or malicious websites execute code on victim machines, enabling data exfiltration, credential theft, or installation of additional malware.
If Mitigated
With proper controls like application whitelisting, network segmentation, and user training, impact is limited to isolated incidents with minimal data exposure.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening malicious PDF) but the vulnerability is well-documented and part of ZDI's disclosure program. No public exploit code is available as of knowledge cutoff.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 12.1.3 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.foxit.com/support/security-bulletins.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download Foxit PDF Reader 12.1.3 or later from official Foxit website. 2. Run the installer. 3. Follow installation prompts. 4. Restart system if prompted. 5. Verify version is 12.1.3 or higher.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable JavaScript in Foxit PDF Reader
windowsDisabling JavaScript may prevent some exploitation vectors, though not guaranteed to block all attack methods.
Open Foxit PDF Reader > File > Preferences > JavaScript > Uncheck 'Enable JavaScript'
Use alternative PDF reader
allTemporarily switch to a different PDF reader application that is not affected by this vulnerability.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized PDF readers
- Deploy network segmentation to isolate PDF reader usage to specific segments
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Open Foxit PDF Reader, go to Help > About Foxit Reader, check if version is below 12.1.3Check Version:
wmic product where "name like 'Foxit%Reader%'" get versionVerify Fix Applied:
After update, verify version is 12.1.3 or higher in Help > About Foxit Reader📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Process crashes of FoxitReader.exe with exception codes like 0xC0000005 (ACCESS_VIOLATION)
- Unusual child processes spawned from FoxitReader.exe
Network Indicators:
- PDF downloads from suspicious domains followed by FoxitReader.exe network connections
- Outbound connections from FoxitReader.exe to unknown IPs
SIEM Query:
source="windows" AND (process_name="FoxitReader.exe" AND (event_id=1000 OR event_id=1001)) OR (parent_process="FoxitReader.exe" AND process_creation=true)