SRC-2021-0023 : Foxit Reader Annotation transitionToState Use-After-Free Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

CVE ID:

CVE-2021-41780

CVSS Score:

8.8, (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H)

Affected Vendors:

Foxit

Affected Products:

Foxit Reader

Vulnerability Details:

This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Foxit PDF Reader. 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.

Vendor Response:

Foxit has issued an update to correct this vulnerability. More details can be found at:
https://www.foxitsoftware.com/support/security-bulletins.html

Disclosure Timeline:

  • 2021-08-20 – Sent to and verified by Foxit
  • 2021-10-12 – Coordinated public release of advisory

Proof of Concept:

/pocs/src-2021-0023.pdf.txt

Credit:

This vulnerability was discovered by Steven Seeley of Qihoo 360 Vulcan Team