CVE-2021-38572

An issue was discovered in Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF before 10.1.4

published August 11, 2021

CVSS
—
EPSS
1%
Percentile
65.9
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

⚠️ A sneaky flaw in Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF can let attackers write to any file they like! This happens because the extractPages pathname isn’t properly validated. 😱 Think of it like a restaurant where a waiter takes your order but misreads it, delivering meals to the wrong table. The extractPages function is the waiter, and without validation, it can serve up data anywhere it’s instructed! If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker to overwrite important files or inject malicious content, potentially compromising the entire system. It’s like letting an unvetted customer into the kitchen and giving them a free pass to tamper with any dish—they can create chaos!

Put simply

Think of it like a restaurant where a waiter takes your order but misreads it, delivering meals to the wrong table. The extractPages function is the waiter, and without validation, it can serve up data anywhere it’s instructed! This vulnerability arises because Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF do not validate the pathnames used in the extractPages function, allowing unauthorized file writing. An attacker could exploit this by crafting a specific request that points to sensitive files.

What to do

If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker to overwrite important files or inject malicious content, potentially compromising the entire system. It’s like letting an unvetted customer into the kitchen and giving them a free pass to tamper with any dish—they can create chaos! To mitigate this risk, update Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF to version 10.1.4 or later. Additionally, consider implementing file access controls to restrict unauthorized writes. Regularly review your software for updates to stay secure. You’ve got this! By taking these steps, you’ll keep your files safe and secure! 🛡️

The record
Technical detail
CVSS
Not scored
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.01117 · 65.9th percentile
Published
2021-08-11T21:13Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 11 AUG 21:13Z
    An issue was discovered in Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF before 10.1.4
    cvelistv5