Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-31457 is a high-severity Foxit Reader flaw where a malicious file or page can trigger code execution after user interaction. The business risk is endpoint compromise through document handling, especially where Foxit Reader 10.1.1.37576 remains installed.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation on user workstations that open external documents. This is not presented as actively exploited, but code execution through common document workflows creates material compromise risk if vulnerable versions remain deployed.
Technical view
The flaw affects Foxit Reader 10.1.1.37576 and involves Annotation object handling. Sources describe missing validation before object operations, mapped to CWE-416, allowing arbitrary code execution in the current process after a user opens a malicious file or visits a malicious page.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited by the provided sources to endpoints running Foxit Reader 10.1.1.37576. Risk is higher for users who handle external PDFs or untrusted links. The bundle does not identify other affected Foxit products or versions.
Exploitation context
User interaction is required. The CVE record and ZDI advisory describe malicious file or page scenarios, but the bundle does not provide evidence of active exploitation, and KEV status is false.
Researcher notes
The key facts are user-assisted code execution, Annotation object handling, CWE-416, and affected version 10.1.1.37576. Public sources provided do not include exploit details, broader version ranges, or a specific fixed version in the prompt bundle.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory and upgrade Foxit Reader 10.1.1.37576 according to Foxit security bulletin guidance.
- Remove unsupported or unnecessary Foxit Reader installations from managed endpoints.
- Warn users against opening unexpected PDFs or links from untrusted sources.
- Use endpoint controls that limit risky document execution paths where feasible.
Validation and detection
- Identify endpoints with Foxit Reader version 10.1.1.37576 installed.
- Compare installed Foxit Reader versions against Foxit’s security bulletin guidance.
- Confirm vulnerable systems are updated, removed, or otherwise controlled.
- Review email and endpoint telemetry for suspicious PDF activity, without assuming confirmed exploitation.
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-2021-31457 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-21-546/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.