Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-31463 is a Foxit Reader issue that can expose sensitive information when a user opens a malicious PDF or visits a malicious page. The named affected version is Foxit Reader 10.1.3.37598. It is low severity by CVSS, but could matter if combined with other vulnerabilities.
Executive priority
Treat this as a low-urgency endpoint hygiene issue unless affected systems routinely handle untrusted PDFs or have weak patch coverage. It should be folded into normal desktop application remediation, with priority for externally facing document workflows.
Technical view
The flaw is an out-of-bounds read in Foxit Reader handling of U3D objects embedded in PDF files. It maps to CWE-125 and can disclose memory content. The published description says attackers may combine it with other vulnerabilities for code execution in the current process, but this CVE alone is described as information disclosure.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on endpoints running Foxit Reader 10.1.3.37598 that process PDFs from email, web downloads, shared drives, or external parties. The bundle does not name other Foxit products or versions.
Exploitation context
User interaction is required. The target must open a malicious file or visit a malicious page. The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation evidence.
Researcher notes
Evidence identifies a U3D parsing out-of-bounds read in Foxit Reader 10.1.3.37598, ZDI-CAN-13573. The bundle does not provide exploit samples, confirmed exploitation, or a specific fixed version. Avoid expanding scope beyond the named product and version.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory Foxit Reader installations and identify version 10.1.3.37598.
- Check Foxit security bulletin guidance for the fixed or recommended version.
- Update or replace affected Foxit Reader installations according to vendor guidance.
- Reduce exposure to untrusted PDFs until affected systems are remediated.
- Prioritize systems used by staff who frequently handle external documents.
Validation and detection
- Confirm installed Foxit Reader versions through endpoint inventory or software management data.
- Verify whether any systems still run Foxit Reader 10.1.3.37598.
- Check patch records against Foxit security bulletin guidance.
- Review document-handling workflows for users receiving untrusted PDFs.
- Do not validate by opening malicious PDFs in production environments.
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-2021-31463 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-21-552/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.