Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2018-9941 is a remote code execution flaw in Foxit Reader 9.0.0.29935. A victim must open a malicious file or visit a malicious page. If successful, attacker code runs as the current user, so business impact depends on where this older Foxit Reader version remains installed.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority legacy endpoint risk if Foxit Reader 9.0.0.29935 exists in the environment. The user-interaction requirement lowers immediacy versus wormable flaws, but document-driven attacks are realistic business exposure.
Technical view
The flaw is in Foxit Reader handling of the record append method. Improper validation of user-supplied data can trigger type confusion, mapped to CWE-704, allowing arbitrary code execution in the current process context. The provided sources name Foxit Reader 9.0.0.29935 only.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on endpoints still running Foxit Reader 9.0.0.29935, especially where users open PDFs or web content from email, browsers, shared drives, or external parties.
Exploitation context
The source bundle says exploitation requires user interaction: opening a malicious file or visiting a malicious page. KEV is false, and the provided sources do not establish active exploitation in the wild.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited to the CVE description and referenced ZDI and Foxit sources. No CVSS vector is provided in the bundle. Do not broaden affected versions beyond Foxit Reader 9.0.0.29935 without additional vendor evidence.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory endpoints for Foxit Reader 9.0.0.29935.
- Check Foxit security bulletins for vendor-fixed versions or official guidance.
- Update, replace, or remove affected installations according to vendor guidance.
- Reduce exposure to untrusted PDFs and links until remediation is complete.
- Prioritize users handling external documents or email attachments.
Validation and detection
- Confirm installed Foxit Reader versions through endpoint management data.
- Verify Foxit Reader 9.0.0.29935 is absent after remediation.
- Review application allowlists for unauthorized Foxit Reader versions.
- Check phishing and web controls for untrusted PDF handling coverage.
- Document exceptions where vendor remediation cannot be applied.
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.
CWE-704: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupExecution 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-2018-9941 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://zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-18-325CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- 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.
Incorrect Type Conversion or Cast
Incorrect Type Conversion or Cast represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.