Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-31445 is a Foxit Reader flaw that can expose sensitive information when a user opens a malicious PDF or visits a malicious page. The known affected version is Foxit Reader 10.1.1.37576. It is low severity by CVSS, but it may support a broader attack chain.
Executive priority
Treat this as a routine endpoint remediation item unless Foxit Reader is widely deployed in high-risk document workflows. The main business concern is phishing-style delivery and chaining with other PDF vulnerabilities, not standalone critical compromise.
Technical view
The flaw is an out-of-bounds read, CWE-125, in Foxit Reader handling of U3D objects embedded in PDFs. Improper validation of user-supplied data can read past an allocated object. Sources state attackers can combine it with other vulnerabilities to execute code in the current process.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on endpoints running Foxit Reader 10.1.1.37576, especially where users open PDFs from email, downloads, portals, or external websites. The source bundle does not identify other affected products or versions.
Exploitation context
User interaction is required: the target must open a malicious file or visit a malicious page. The CVE is not listed as KEV, and the provided sources do not show active exploitation. Impact alone is limited information disclosure, with chaining risk noted by ZDI/CVE text.
Researcher notes
Important nuance: the description says remote attackers, while CVSS uses AV:L and UI:R. Keep validation focused on installed vulnerable Foxit Reader versions and user-driven document exposure. No public exploit status or fixed build is provided in the source bundle.
Mitigation direction
- Check Foxit’s security bulletin for the fixed version and vendor guidance.
- Upgrade affected Foxit Reader installations according to Foxit guidance.
- Reduce exposure to untrusted PDFs from email, web, and shared drives.
- Use endpoint controls to limit risky PDF handling where upgrades are pending.
Validation and detection
- Inventory endpoints for Foxit Reader 10.1.1.37576.
- Confirm whether affected systems handle external or untrusted PDFs.
- Review Foxit bulletin details before declaring remediation complete.
- Check security telemetry for suspicious PDF delivery or opening patterns.
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-2021-31445 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
- Low
- CVSS
- 3.3 (3.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
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:L/I:N/A:N1.81.4Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.0 score
3.3LowVector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
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-21-534/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.
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.