Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This flaw affects older Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF versions before 9.2. It is a memory safety bug that can lead to remote code execution, meaning successful abuse could run attacker-controlled code on an affected endpoint. The bundle does not provide CVSS or active exploitation evidence.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation where Foxit is installed on user workstations or shared desktop images. The RCE impact is serious, but urgency is moderated by missing exploitation and severity data.
Technical view
CVE-2018-14442 is a use-after-free vulnerability in Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF before version 9.2, identified by Foxit as V-88f4smlocs. The public bundle states the impact is remote code execution but does not include CWE, CVSS, detailed attack vector, or exploit prerequisites.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to endpoints or images still running Foxit Reader before 9.2 or PhantomPDF before 9.2. Organizations without software inventory may miss legacy installs.
Exploitation context
The supplied bundle says KEV is false and provides no cited evidence of active exploitation. Treat exploit status as unconfirmed, not actively exploited.
Researcher notes
The record is sparse: affected products and version boundary are clear, but CVSS, CWE, attack vector, and exploit conditions are absent. Avoid assuming PDF trigger mechanics without vendor detail.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF to version 9.2 or later.
- Check Foxit security bulletins for vendor-specific remediation guidance.
- Remove unsupported or unused Foxit installations from managed endpoints.
- Restrict use of vulnerable Foxit versions until upgraded.
Validation and detection
- Inventory endpoints for Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF installations.
- Confirm installed versions are 9.2 or later.
- Review Foxit bulletin records for CVE-2018-14442 or V-88f4smlocs.
- Document any remaining legacy installations and business owners.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
Execution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2018-14442 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.foxitsoftware.com/support/security-bulletins.phpCVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.