CVE-2022-28677 in Foxit
Summary
by MITRE • 07/18/2022
This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Foxit PDF Reader 11.2.1.53537. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the handling of Annotation objects. The issue results from the lack of validating the existence of an object prior to performing operations on the object. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-16663.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/06/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-28677 represents a critical remote code execution flaw in Foxit PDF Reader version 11.2.1.53537 that demonstrates a classic improper validation of object references within the PDF processing pipeline. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-476 category of NULL Pointer Dereference, where the application fails to validate the existence of Annotation objects before attempting to perform operations on them. The flaw specifically manifests during the parsing and rendering of PDF documents when the software encounters malformed or maliciously crafted Annotation objects that lack proper validation mechanisms.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to craft a malicious PDF file containing specially constructed Annotation objects that trigger the unsafe object handling behavior. When a victim opens such a file using the vulnerable Foxit PDF Reader, the application attempts to process the Annotation without verifying whether the referenced object actually exists, leading to a null pointer dereference that can be leveraged for arbitrary code execution. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution, where adversaries exploit software vulnerabilities to execute code on target systems. The attack vector requires user interaction through opening a malicious file, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns or social engineering attacks where users might encounter such documents in legitimate contexts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it allows attackers to operate within the security context of the current process, potentially gaining access to sensitive data, system resources, or enabling further exploitation. The vulnerability affects not only individual users but also enterprise environments where Foxit PDF Reader is widely deployed, creating a significant risk for organizations that rely on PDF processing for document management and collaboration. The fact that this vulnerability was tracked as ZDI-CAN-16663 indicates it was recognized by the Zero Day Initiative and likely had a substantial impact on the security community's awareness of PDF reader security flaws.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the latest version of Foxit PDF Reader that addresses this vulnerability, deploying PDF sandboxing solutions, and implementing user education programs to avoid opening suspicious PDF files. Network-level protections such as PDF content filtering and sandboxing technologies can provide additional defense in depth. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and object reference checking in PDF processing libraries, as similar flaws have been documented in other PDF readers and document processing applications. Security teams should monitor for exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis and endpoint detection systems, as the exploitation of such vulnerabilities typically generates detectable patterns in network communications and system behavior.