EUVD-2025-19142CVSS VectorNVD
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Lifecycle Timeline
3DescriptionNVD
PDF-XChange Editor U3D File Parsing Use-After-Free Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of PDF-XChange Editor. 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 parsing of U3D files. The issue results from the lack of validating the existence of an object prior to performing operations on the object. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-26527.
AnalysisAI
CVE-2025-6640 is a use-after-free vulnerability in PDF-XChange Editor's U3D file parsing engine that allows remote code execution when a user opens a malicious PDF or visits a compromised webpage containing a specially crafted U3D file. The vulnerability stems from insufficient object validation before operations, enabling arbitrary code execution in the context of the affected application with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. This is a local attack vector requiring user interaction, with a CVSS score of 7.8 indicating high severity.
Technical ContextAI
The vulnerability exists in PDF-XChange Editor's handling of U3D (Universal 3D) file formats, which are embedded 3D model formats commonly found in PDF documents. The root cause is classified under CWE-416 (Use-After-Free), a memory safety flaw where the application performs operations on an object reference after that object has been deallocated from memory. The parsing logic fails to validate object existence prior to dereferencing or manipulating the object, allowing an attacker to trigger a use-after-free condition. This is particularly dangerous in PDF processing contexts where embedded U3D models are parsed with elevated privileges. The vulnerability was originally identified as ZDI-CAN-26527, indicating it was reported through Trend Micro's Zero Day Initiative.
RemediationAI
Immediate remediation steps: (1) Update PDF-XChange Editor to the latest patched version released by Tracker Software following ZDI disclosure; (2) Until patching is feasible, disable or restrict opening of U3D-embedded PDF files from untrusted sources; (3) Configure application to run in restricted user context rather than administrative context to limit code execution impact; (4) Implement file type filtering at email gateways to block PDF files from external sources if not business-critical; (5) Use PDF sandboxing or isolated virtual environments when processing documents from untrusted sources. Users should monitor Tracker Software's security advisory page and enable automatic updates if available. For enterprise deployments, implement application whitelisting to prevent execution of injected code even if the use-after-free is triggered.
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