Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-31446 is a Foxit Reader flaw that can leak sensitive process information when a user opens a malicious PDF or visits a malicious page. The published CVSS score is low, but the advisory notes it could support code execution when combined with other vulnerabilities.
Executive priority
Treat this as a targeted endpoint hygiene issue, not an emergency internet-facing risk. Remediate through normal patch management, with higher priority for users who frequently handle external PDFs.
Technical view
The flaw affects Foxit Reader 10.1.1.37576. It is an out-of-bounds read in U3D object handling inside PDF files, caused by insufficient validation of user-supplied data. The issue maps to CWE-125 and primarily impacts confidentiality.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to endpoints running Foxit Reader 10.1.1.37576 where users may open untrusted PDFs or web-delivered PDF content. No server-side exposure is described in the provided sources.
Exploitation context
The sources require user interaction: opening a malicious file or visiting a malicious page. The CVE is not listed as CISA KEV in the source bundle, and no cited source states active exploitation.
Researcher notes
ZDI identifies this as ZDI-CAN-13245 and describes U3D PDF object parsing as the affected area. The bundle does not provide exploit proof, patch version details, or evidence of exploitation in the wild.
Mitigation direction
- Check Foxit's security bulletin for fixed versions and vendor guidance.
- Update or remove Foxit Reader 10.1.1.37576 on managed endpoints.
- Restrict opening untrusted PDFs until affected endpoints are remediated.
- Use endpoint controls to limit risky PDF handling where feasible.
Validation and detection
- Inventory endpoints for Foxit Reader 10.1.1.37576.
- Confirm deployed Foxit versions against Foxit's security bulletin.
- Review EDR or mail telemetry for suspicious PDF delivery to affected users.
- Document whether Foxit Reader is default for PDF handling.
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-2021-31446 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-21-535/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.