Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2018-9957 is a remote code execution flaw in Foxit Reader 9.0.1.1049. A successful attack requires a user to open a malicious file or visit a malicious page. If exploited, attacker code runs as the affected user, making this most urgent where Foxit Reader is deployed on employee desktops.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority desktop application risk if Foxit Reader 9.0.1.1049 exists in the environment. The business risk is user-assisted compromise through documents or web content, not automatic network worming based on the supplied evidence.
Technical view
The flaw is in Foxit Reader handling of XFA Button elements. While parsing arguments passed to resetData, the process fails to properly validate object existence before operating on it. The CVE maps to CWE-416, and ZDI tracked it as ZDI-CAN-5618. The provided sources do not include CVSS or detailed patch metadata.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited by the supplied evidence to Foxit Reader 9.0.1.1049. Organizations with unmanaged desktop PDF software, email attachment workflows, or users who receive external PDFs should verify whether this specific version remains installed.
Exploitation context
The source bundle supports remote attacker-triggered code execution, but only with user interaction. The target must open a malicious file or visit a malicious page. The CVE is not listed as KEV in the provided data, and no cited source here confirms active exploitation.
Researcher notes
Research should focus on XFA Button resetData handling in Foxit Reader 9.0.1.1049 and object lifetime validation. The public bundle states arbitrary code execution in the current process context, but does not provide CVSS, active exploitation evidence, or exact fixed version details.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory endpoints for Foxit Reader 9.0.1.1049.
- Check Foxit security bulletins for vendor-fixed versions and guidance.
- Upgrade or remove affected Foxit Reader installations per vendor guidance.
- Reduce exposure to untrusted PDFs and links until remediation is complete.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether Foxit Reader 9.0.1.1049 is present in software inventory.
- Compare installed Foxit versions against Foxit security bulletin guidance.
- Review endpoint controls for handling externally sourced PDF files.
- Prioritize validation on desktops receiving external email attachments.
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-416: 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-2018-9957 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-18-341CVE 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.
Use After Free
Use After Free represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.