Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessDeliver crafted PDF to victim
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DeliveryVictim opens file in Foxit
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ExploitScript resets annotation status
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ExecutionReset-form additional action re-enters
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PersistDereference freed object (UAF)
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ImpactApplication crash / memory corruption
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Memory lifecycle management
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Execution, Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires the victim to open a specially crafted PDF in Foxit PDF Editor or Foxit PDF Reader (UI:R in the vector), and that PDF must contain embedded JavaScript/additional actions that first reset annotation status and then trigger a reset-form additional action - the exact sequence that drives the re-entry into freed objects. This means JavaScript/additional-action processing must be enabled (Foxit's default), so disabling JavaScript or enabling Safe Reading Mode is a hard limiting factor; the attack vector is local/file-based (AV:L, no network service is exposed), and no authentication or elevated privileges are needed on the target (PR:N). |
| Impact | The supplied CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H = 7.8) models a local, low-complexity, unauthenticated attack requiring user interaction (opening a file), with full confidentiality/integrity/availability impact - consistent with memory corruption that could go beyond a crash. Note a tension in the source data: the description explicitly states only that the application 'crashed' (a denial-of-service outcome), while the vector claims C:H/I:H, and the vendor tags include both 'Denial Of Service' and 'Memory Corruption'/'Use After Free' - verify with Foxit whether code execution is actually achievable or whether the C/I:H rating is precautionary. There is no EPSS score, no KEV listing, and no POC in the provided data, so this is not evidence of widespread or active exploitation; realistically it is a client-side, single-victim risk gated by social engineering (the user must open a malicious PDF). Priority is moderate: patch in normal cycles for high-value endpoints, sooner where Foxit is broadly deployed and users routinely open untrusted PDFs. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker emails or hosts a booby-trapped PDF whose embedded JavaScript resets annotation status and then invokes a reset-form additional action; when the victim opens it in a vulnerable Foxit build, the re-entry path dereferences a freed object and the application crashes (denial of service), with potential for further memory-corruption exploitation. No public exploit code was identified at time of analysis, and successful exploitation requires the user to open the file. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Jul 08, 2026
Use-after-free memory corruption in Foxit PDF Editor and Foxit PDF Reader allows a crafted PDF to crash the application when its embedded JavaScript resets annotation status and then triggers a reset-form additional action, causing the parser to re-enter and dereference freed objects. Local victims who open a malicious document are affected; the CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.8. No public exploit was identified at time of analysis, and the issue is not listed in CISA KEV.
RemediationAI
Update Foxit PDF Editor and Foxit PDF Reader to the fixed release identified in the Foxit security bulletin (https://www.foxit.com/support/security-bulletins.html); an exact fix version is not present in the provided data, so consult that advisory for the patched build - Patch available per vendor advisory. As compensating controls until patched: disable JavaScript execution in Foxit (Preferences > JavaScript, uncheck 'Enable JavaScript Actions'), which neutralizes the script-driven reset-form additional action that triggers the use-after-free, at the cost of breaking legitimate interactive/JavaScript-enabled forms; enable Foxit's Safe Reading Mode to restrict scripted and unverified actions; and restrict opening of PDFs from untrusted sources via email/download policy or attachment sandboxing. Do not invent a version number - cite the vendor bulletin for the exact patched build.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affects your stack
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Technical ContextAI · show details
The flaw is a CWE-416 Use-After-Free in the PDF rendering/JavaScript engine shared by Foxit PDF Editor and Foxit PDF Reader (per CPE cpe:2.3:a:foxit_software_inc.:foxit_pdf_editor and :foxit_pdf_reader). PDF documents can carry additional actions (AA) attached to form fields and annotations; here a script resets annotation state and then fires a 'reset form' additional action. During the resulting re-entry, an object freed earlier in the flow is accessed again, so a dangling pointer is dereferenced. Use-after-free conditions in document parsers are a classic memory-corruption primitive: at minimum they cause a crash (denial of service), and depending on heap grooming they can escalate to controlled memory reuse.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Description states only a crash, so A:H with C/I:N; local crafted-file vector with required user interaction gives AV:L/UI:R, no privileges needed (PR:N).
Primary rating from Vendor (Foxit).
CVSS VectorVendor: Foxit
DescriptionCVE.org
After the application opened the PDF file, the script first reset the annotation status, then triggered the reset form event by additional action. During the re-entry process, the application access invalid objects and crashed.
Executive ViewAI
Foxit PDF Editor and Foxit PDF Reader contain a use-after-free vulnerability (CVSS 7.8) that can crash the application when employees open malicious PDF files. No vendor patch is currently available, creating operational risk and potential productivity loss across any teams that depend on Foxit for document workflows. Immediate mitigation is required to prevent disruption from accidental or targeted attacks using weaponized documents.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: (1) Disable JavaScript execution in Foxit application settings; (2) restrict user permissions to prevent direct PDF execution from email and file shares; (3) deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) monitoring for abnormal Foxit process terminations and memory access patterns; (4) implement user awareness training on PDF-based attack vectors; (5) use sandboxed or air-gapped systems for processing PDFs from external or untrusted sources.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Use-after-free vulnerabilities occur when a program continues to access memory through a pointer after that memory has been deallocated.
Memory corruption occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory regions or accesses memory in unintended ways, violating the integrity of the process's address space.
Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.
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EUVD-2026-42204
GHSA-f8mh-5vwp-p567
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
VulDB
Exploit-DB