Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Foxit Reader 9.0.1.1049 can leak sensitive process information when a user opens hostile ePub content or visits a malicious page. The issue is client-side and requires user interaction, but the source notes it may help attackers chain to code execution with other flaws.
Executive priority
Treat this as a targeted endpoint risk, not an internet-facing emergency. Prioritize removal from user workstations that process external documents or web content.
Technical view
CVE-2018-9973 is a CWE-125 out-of-bounds read in Foxit Reader 9.0.1.1049 ePub parsing. Improper validation of user-supplied data can read past an allocated buffer. ZDI tracked it as ZDI-CAN-5758 / ZDI-18-357.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on endpoints still running Foxit Reader 9.0.1.1049, especially where users open ePub files from email, web downloads, or shared repositories.
Exploitation context
The provided sources require user interaction: opening a malicious file or visiting a malicious page. There is no KEV listing or cited evidence of active exploitation in this bundle.
Researcher notes
Evidence is specific to Foxit Reader 9.0.1.1049 and ePub parsing. The bundle does not provide CVSS, detailed patch version, exploit samples, or active exploitation evidence.
Mitigation direction
- Identify and remove or update Foxit Reader 9.0.1.1049 installations.
- Check Foxit security bulletins for the vendor-fixed version and update guidance.
- Limit opening ePub files from untrusted sources until affected clients are updated.
- Use endpoint controls to reduce risky file handling on vulnerable workstations.
Validation and detection
- Inventory installed Foxit Reader versions across managed endpoints.
- Confirm whether any endpoint reports version 9.0.1.1049.
- Review file association and telemetry for ePub handling by Foxit Reader.
- Verify updated systems no longer run the affected version.
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-125: 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-2018-9973 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
- https://zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-18-357CVE 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.
Out-of-bounds Read
Out-of-bounds Read represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.