Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This is a desktop PDF-reader code execution issue. A malicious PDF could trigger memory misuse in vulnerable Foxit products when a user opens or interacts with it. The business risk is endpoint compromise, not direct internet-facing server takeover.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation for departments that process external PDFs. Treat this as a high endpoint risk requiring patch management attention, but not as an internet-facing emergency based on the provided evidence.
Technical view
CVE-2021-41780 is a use-after-free vulnerability in JavaScript handling affecting Foxit PDF Reader before 11.1, PDF Editor before 11.1, and PhantomPDF before 10.1.6. CVSS 3.1 is 7.8 with local attack vector and required user interaction.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely on managed or unmanaged endpoints running the affected Foxit desktop PDF products, especially where users receive PDFs from email, web downloads, or external file shares.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not cite active exploitation, and KEV is false. Exploitation requires local execution context and user interaction, such as opening a crafted PDF in a vulnerable Foxit product.
Researcher notes
The affected CPE data is incomplete in the bundle, so validation should rely on installed product names and versions. The vulnerability maps to CWE-416 and involves JavaScript mishandling leading to arbitrary code execution.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade Foxit PDF Reader and PDF Editor to 11.1 or later.
- Upgrade PhantomPDF to 10.1.6 or later.
- Check Foxit security bulletins for any product-specific guidance.
- Reduce exposure to unsolicited PDFs until vulnerable clients are upgraded.
Validation and detection
- Inventory endpoints for Foxit PDF Reader, PDF Editor, and PhantomPDF versions.
- Flag PDF Reader or PDF Editor versions earlier than 11.1.
- Flag PhantomPDF versions earlier than 10.1.6.
- Confirm patched systems open PDFs with the updated Foxit application.
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-2021-41780 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 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/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:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/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.foxit.com/support/security-bulletins.htmlCVE 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.