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CVE-2023-38573· NVD / CVE Program· CNA talos

A use-after-free vulnerability exists in the way Foxit Reader 12.1.2.15356 handles a signature field.

A use-after-free vulnerability exists in the way Foxit Reader 12.1.2.15356 handles a signature field. A specially crafted Javascript code inside a malicious PDF document can trigger reuse of a previously freed object, which can lead to memory corruption and result in arbitrary code execution. An attacker needs to trick the user into opening the malicious file to trigger this vulnerability. Exploitation is also possible if a user visits a specially crafted, malicious site if the browser plugin extension is enabled.

HighCVSS 8.8 · v3.1—No exploit No fix recorded
Published
Nov 27, 2023
Updated
Jun 17, 2026
EPSS
1.9% · 79th percentile
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Report tools

JSON

Action score

36

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
35 / 40 · 8.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
1 / 30 · 1.9%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
proof of concept
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
8.8
CNA · talos
8.8
agree

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Noroxi analysis

No Noroxi analysis for this record yet

We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.

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Affected systems

VendorProduct
foxitsoftwarefoxit reader

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • foxitsoftware foxit reader12.1.2.15356

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (talos). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Foxit Foxit Reader

    • 12.1.3.15356affected

Same product

foxitsoftware: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2020-13557A use after free vulnerability exists in the JavaScript engine of Foxit Software’s Foxit PDF Reader, version 10.1.0.37527.
    56Plan
  • CVE-2020-13548In Foxit Reader 10.1.0.37527, a specially crafted PDF document can trigger reuse of previously free memory which can lead to arbitrary code
    55Plan
  • CVE-2018-9958This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable installations of Foxit Reader 9.0.1.1049.
    54Plan
  • CVE-2018-9948This vulnerability allows remote attackers to disclose sensitive information on vulnerable installations of Foxit Reader 9.0.0.29935.
    45Plan
  • CVE-2018-3924An exploitable use-after-free vulnerability exists in the JavaScript engine of Foxit Software's Foxit PDF Reader version 9.1.5096.
    44Plan
  • CVE-2008-1104Stack-based buffer overflow in Foxit Reader before 2.3 build 2912 allows user-assisted remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a craf
    44Plan

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

  • CVE-2023-326160 days apartA use-after-free vulnerability exists in the way Foxit Reader 12.1.2.15356 handles 3D annotations.
    36Monitor

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • A user must open a link or visit a page.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-416 · Use After Free

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

nvd-primary

Root cause

After a memory region is freed, another reference pointing to it is still used. By then, the same region may have been allocated for different data.

The bug in code

The whole CWE-416 class

A representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.

Vulnerable

c
free(dev->buf);/* ... another thread is still running ... */process(dev->buf);

Fixed

c
lock(&dev->lock);free(dev->buf);dev->buf = NULL;unlock(&dev->lock);

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.

Change log

No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.

References

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records