CVE-2011-10030 in Foxit
Summary
by MITRE • 08/20/2025
Integer overflow in Foxit Reader before 4.3.1.0218 and Foxit Phantom before 2.3.3.1112 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted ICC chunks in a PDF file, which triggers a heap-based buffer overflow.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/20/2026
The vulnerability identified involves a critical integer overflow flaw within the image color profile handling mechanisms of Foxit Reader and Foxit Phantom versions prior to 4.3.1.0218 and 2.3.3.1112 respectively. This security defect is specifically triggered by maliciously crafted International Color Consortium chunks embedded within Portable Document Format files. When a victim opens such a document, the application attempts to parse these ICC profiles without performing adequate bounds checking or arithmetic validation on the size parameters associated with the data structures involved in processing the color profile information.
The core technical flaw stems from an integer overflow condition during the calculation of buffer sizes required for storing image color profile data. In many software implementations involving multimedia parsing, developers may use smaller integer types such as 16-bit or 32-bit signed integers to calculate memory allocation requirements based on input file metadata. If an attacker crafts a PDF with ICC chunk headers that specify size values near the maximum limit of these integer types, arithmetic operations intended to determine total buffer length can wrap around due to overflow. This results in a significantly smaller allocated heap buffer than what is actually required to hold the incoming data stream described by the malicious payload.
Consequently, when the application proceeds to copy or process the ICC chunk data into this undersized memory region, it writes beyond the boundaries of the allocated heap space. This condition constitutes a classic heap-based buffer overflow as classified under Common Weakness Enumeration identifier CWE-190 Integer Overflow and CWE-122 Heap-Based Buffer Overflow. The excessive write operation corrupts adjacent memory structures on the heap, potentially overwriting critical control data such as function pointers or object headers that are managed by the application's memory allocator.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, allowing remote attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running the vulnerable software. By carefully crafting the overflow payload and leveraging specific exploitation techniques such as heap spraying or controlling the overwritten control data, an attacker can redirect program flow to execute malicious shellcode injected into the process memory space. This effectively compromises the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system, turning a simple document viewing action into a full remote code execution vector without requiring any user interaction beyond opening the file in the default viewer or within the application itself.
This attack pattern aligns with tactics observed in advanced persistent threats and drive-by download campaigns where malicious documents are distributed via email attachments or compromised websites to exploit vulnerabilities in widely used productivity software. The exploitation falls under MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to initial access through spearphishing attachment and subsequent execution of unauthorized code, often leading to further lateral movement within a network if the victim is part of an enterprise environment.
To mitigate this risk, organizations must ensure that all instances of Foxit Reader and Foxit Phantom are updated to version 4.3.1.0218 or later for readers and 2.3.3.1112 or later for phantom software respectively. These updates contain patches that implement proper input validation and arithmetic overflow checks before allocating memory buffers based on file metadata. Additionally, administrators should enforce strict email filtering policies to block PDF attachments from untrusted sources and consider deploying application whitelisting solutions to prevent the execution of unauthorized code even if such vulnerabilities are exploited in the future. Regular patch management cycles and user awareness training regarding suspicious document handling remain essential components of a defense-in-depth strategy against this class of memory corruption vulnerabilities.