CVE-2025-66497
📋 TL;DR
A memory corruption vulnerability in Foxit PDF Reader allows attackers to execute arbitrary code by tricking users into opening malicious PDF files containing specially crafted PRC content. This affects all users of vulnerable Foxit PDF Reader versions who open untrusted PDF files. The vulnerability stems from insufficient bounds checking when parsing 3D annotation data.
💻 Affected Systems
- Foxit PDF Reader
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution with the privileges of the current user, potentially leading to full system compromise, data theft, or ransomware deployment.
Likely Case
Application crash (denial of service) or limited memory corruption that could be leveraged for information disclosure or further exploitation.
If Mitigated
No impact if users only open trusted PDF files from verified sources and the application is properly sandboxed.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening a malicious PDF) but no authentication. The CVSS score of 5.3 suggests moderate exploit complexity and impact.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check Foxit security bulletins for patched version
Vendor Advisory: https://www.foxit.com/support/security-bulletins.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Visit Foxit security bulletins page
2. Identify the patched version for your product
3. Update Foxit PDF Reader to the latest version
4. Restart the application and system if prompted
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable JavaScript in Foxit Reader
allPrevents some exploitation vectors that use JavaScript to trigger the vulnerability
Open Foxit Reader > File > Preferences > JavaScript > Uncheck 'Enable JavaScript'
Use Protected View
allOpen untrusted PDFs in protected/sandboxed mode to limit potential damage
Open Foxit Reader > File > Preferences > Trust Manager > Check 'Enable Safe Reading Mode'
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable Foxit PDF Reader as default PDF handler and use alternative PDF viewers
- Implement application whitelisting to block execution of vulnerable Foxit Reader versions
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Foxit Reader version against affected versions listed in Foxit security bulletinsCheck Version:
Open Foxit Reader > Help > About Foxit ReaderVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm Foxit Reader version is updated to patched version specified in security bulletin📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes of Foxit Reader
- Unexpected process termination events
- Memory access violation errors in application logs
Network Indicators:
- Downloads of PDF files from suspicious sources
- Email attachments with PDF files containing 3D content
SIEM Query:
EventID=1000 OR EventID=1001 Source='Foxit Reader' OR ProcessName='FoxitReader.exe' AND (ExceptionCode=0xc0000005 OR ExceptionCode=0xc0000409)