Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Older Foxit PhantomPDF and Reader versions can mishandle PDF annotation objects in a way that may let a remote attacker run code or crash the application. The bundle identifies versions before 9.3 as affected. No cited source confirms active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat as a high-priority legacy endpoint remediation item if Foxit Reader or PhantomPDF is deployed. The urgency is lower than known-exploited vulnerabilities but still material because successful exploitation could lead to code execution.
Technical view
CVE-2018-17610 is a use-after-free issue in handling properties of one class of Annotation objects in Foxit PhantomPDF and Reader before 9.3. Reported impacts are arbitrary code execution or denial of service by a remote attacker.
Likely exposure
Organizations are exposed where Foxit PhantomPDF or Foxit Reader versions before 9.3 remain installed, especially on endpoints used to open externally supplied PDF files.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not include exploit details, public exploitation evidence, or CISA KEV status. Risk still matters because the described impact includes remote code execution in a document reader.
Researcher notes
Available evidence is limited to the CVE description and Foxit bulletin reference. The bundle does not provide CVSS, CWE, proof-of-concept status, exploit telemetry, or detailed affected build ranges beyond before 9.3.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade Foxit PhantomPDF and Foxit Reader to version 9.3 or later.
- Review Foxit security bulletins for any product-specific remediation guidance.
- Prioritize endpoints that process external or emailed PDF files.
- Remove unsupported or unnecessary vulnerable Foxit installations.
Validation and detection
- Inventory endpoints for Foxit PhantomPDF and Foxit Reader installations.
- Confirm installed Foxit versions are 9.3 or later.
- Check software deployment records for successful remediation coverage.
- Review vulnerability scanner results for remaining pre-9.3 Foxit versions.
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-2018-17610 mapping review
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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_MISC
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.