CVE-2018-9956 Use after free in Foxit Reader

High 8.8 Published 17 May 2018 Updated 5 Aug 2024

Remote attackers can execute arbitrary code via a malicious PDF file due to improper object validation in Foxit Reader.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: Not needed
Attackable: Over the internet
Victim action needed: A user has to click or open something
Fix: None listed

What is CVE-2018-9956?

CVE-2018-9956 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Foxitsoftware Foxit Reader, published on 17 May 2018. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

Official description

This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable installations of Foxit Reader 9.0.1.1049. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the handling of XFA Button elements. When setting the title attribute, the process does not properly validate the existence of an object prior to performing operations on the object. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code under the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-5617.

Weakness: CWE-416

Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-9956?

It affects 2 products.

Products include Foxitsoftware Foxit Reader, Foxitsoftware Phantompdf.

How do I fix CVE-2018-9956?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-9956 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.

Is CVE-2018-9956 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-9956 in the wild and no public exploit code.

All Foxitsoftware Foxit Reader vulnerabilities

Sources

Also known as GHSA-pm26-rj28-hv99.