Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A malicious PDF or web page could make Foxit PDF Reader run attacker-controlled code after a user opens the file or visits the page. The code would run inside the current Reader process, so business impact depends on the user’s privileges and endpoint controls.
Executive priority
Treat as a high-priority workstation remediation item, especially for users handling external documents. It is not cited as actively exploited in the bundle, but successful exploitation could compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability on affected endpoints.
Technical view
Foxit PDF Reader 11.0.1.49938 has a CWE-416 use-after-free in Annotation object handling. The flaw is described as missing validation that an object still exists before operations continue, enabling remote code execution with user interaction. CVSS is 7.8 high.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely limited to endpoints using Foxit PDF Reader, specifically the listed affected version 11.0.1.49938. Risk is higher where users receive untrusted PDFs, browse the web, or use Foxit as the default PDF handler.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or cited active exploitation. Exploitation requires user interaction: opening a malicious file or visiting a malicious page. No exploit steps should be needed for validation.
Researcher notes
ZDI tracks this as ZDI-CAN-14729 / ZDI-21-1183. Public data identifies Annotation object lifetime handling as the flaw class. The bundle does not provide a fixed version, CPEs, or broader affected-version range, so avoid expanding scope without vendor confirmation.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory Foxit PDF Reader installations and identify version 11.0.1.49938.
- Check Foxit security bulletins for the vendor-supported fixed version or mitigation.
- Update affected Reader installations according to Foxit guidance.
- Limit opening PDFs from untrusted sources until affected systems are remediated.
- Use endpoint protections to monitor suspicious Reader process behavior.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether Foxit PDF Reader 11.0.1.49938 exists on managed endpoints.
- Check whether Foxit is the default PDF handler on exposed workstations.
- Verify remediation status against Foxit’s security bulletin guidance.
- Review security telemetry for unusual Foxit Reader crashes or child processes.
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-2021-34952 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
- ZDI-21-1183CVE reference · x_research-advisory
- vendor-provided URLCVE reference · vendor-advisory
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.