CVE-2023-42110
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in PDF-XChange Editor allows attackers to read memory beyond allocated bounds when processing malicious EMF files, potentially disclosing sensitive information. Users who open malicious PDFs or visit compromised websites are affected. The vulnerability requires user interaction but could be combined with other exploits for code execution.
💻 Affected Systems
- PDF-XChange Editor
📦 What is this software?
Pdf Tools by Pdf Xchange
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, potentially resulting in full system compromise.
Likely Case
Information disclosure of memory contents, which could reveal sensitive data or system information useful for further attacks.
If Mitigated
Limited information disclosure with no code execution if proper memory protections are in place and no other vulnerabilities are present.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening malicious file) and likely requires chaining with other vulnerabilities for code execution.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 10.1.1.380 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.tracker-software.com/support/security-bulletins.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download latest version from official vendor site
2. Run installer with administrative privileges
3. Restart system after installation completes
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable EMF file processing
windowsConfigure PDF-XChange Editor to block EMF file processing through registry settings
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Tracker Software\PDFXEditor\3.0\Settings\Security\FileOpen\Block]
"EMF"="1"
Application control blocking
windowsUse application whitelisting to block PDF-XChange Editor from processing EMF files
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict user permissions to limit impact of potential code execution
- Use sandboxed environments for opening untrusted PDF files
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Help > About in PDF-XChange Editor for version numberCheck Version:
reg query "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Tracker Software\PDFXEditor\3.0" /v VersionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 10.1.1.380 or higher in Help > About📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes when processing EMF files
- Unusual memory access patterns in application logs
Network Indicators:
- Downloads of EMF files from untrusted sources
- Network traffic to known malicious domains after PDF processing
SIEM Query:
EventID=1000 AND Source="PDF-XChange Editor" AND FaultingModule LIKE "%emf%"