Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Foxit Reader 10.1.1.37576 can be made to run attacker-controlled code if a user opens a malicious file or visits a malicious page. This is serious because compromise occurs in the user’s process, but it still depends on user interaction.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority workstation remediation item, especially for users who receive external documents. It is not presented as wormable or known exploited in the supplied evidence, but successful exploitation could lead to full user-context code execution.
Technical view
The flaw is in Foxit Reader handling of Annotation objects. The CVE maps it to CWE-416 and describes missing validation before object operations, enabling arbitrary code execution in the current process. The supplied affected version is Foxit Reader 10.1.1.37576.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on workstations where Foxit Reader 10.1.1.37576 is installed and users handle PDFs or web content from untrusted sources. The bundle does not identify other Foxit products or versions.
Exploitation context
The source bundle says user interaction is required: the target must open a malicious file or visit a malicious page. KEV status is false, and the provided sources do not establish active exploitation.
Researcher notes
ZDI identifies this as ZDI-CAN-13101 / ZDI-21-530. The supplied CVSS is 7.8, vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Patch details are not included in the bundle, so validation should start from Foxit’s bulletin.
Mitigation direction
- Identify and upgrade Foxit Reader 10.1.1.37576 using Foxit’s security bulletin guidance.
- If upgrade timing is unclear, restrict use of the affected version until vendor guidance is applied.
- Reduce exposure to unsolicited PDFs and untrusted document links where business workflows allow.
- Ensure endpoint controls monitor document-reader crashes and suspicious child processes.
Validation and detection
- Inventory endpoints for Foxit Reader 10.1.1.37576.
- Confirm remediated systems no longer report the affected version.
- Review security telemetry for suspicious Foxit Reader crashes or process activity.
- Document that provided KEV status is false; do not claim active exploitation without new evidence.
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-2021-31441 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
- High
- CVSS
- 7.8 (3.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.0 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.foxitsoftware.com/support/security-bulletins.phpCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-21-530/CVE 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.
Use After Free
Use After Free represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.