Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2018-9975 is a Foxit Reader remote code execution vulnerability. A user would need to open a malicious file or visit a malicious page. If successful, attacker code could run with the same privileges as Foxit Reader. The source bundle does not show active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as a priority endpoint hygiene issue if Foxit Reader 9.0.1.1049 exists in the fleet. It enables code execution after user interaction, but the provided evidence does not show known active exploitation.
Technical view
The flaw affects Foxit Reader 9.0.1.1049 and involves handling of shift events. Sources describe missing validation that an object exists before operations are performed on it, mapped to CWE-416. Successful exploitation can execute arbitrary code in the current process context.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on endpoints still running Foxit Reader 9.0.1.1049, especially where users open external PDFs or browser-delivered files. The bundle does not identify other affected versions or products.
Exploitation context
User interaction is required: the target must open a malicious file or visit a malicious page. The CVE is not marked as CISA KEV in the provided bundle, and no cited source here confirms active exploitation.
Researcher notes
Track ZDI-18-359 and ZDI-CAN-5762. The public description points to object lifetime or existence validation failure during shift event handling. CVSS, fixed-version details, and broader affected-version claims are not provided in the source bundle.
Mitigation direction
- Check Foxit security bulletins for the vendor-approved update path.
- Upgrade or remove Foxit Reader 9.0.1.1049 where found.
- Limit use of legacy PDF readers on internet-facing workflows.
- Use least-privilege user accounts for document handling.
- Apply email and web filtering for suspicious document delivery.
Validation and detection
- Inventory endpoints for Foxit Reader 9.0.1.1049.
- Compare installed Foxit versions against Foxit security bulletins.
- Confirm software deployment tools removed or upgraded vulnerable installs.
- Review EDR or asset records for legacy Foxit Reader usage.
- Verify users cannot routinely open untrusted documents with obsolete readers.
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-2018-9975 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-18-359CVE 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.