CVE-2022-42396: pdf-xchange pdf-xchange_editor Untrusted Pointer Dereference

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2022-42396 is a high (CVSS 7.8) Untrusted Pointer Dereference vulnerability in pdf-xchange pdf-xchange_editor. EPSS estimates a 0.36% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 29.1% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 26-01-2023
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 01-04-2025
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of PDF-XChange Editor. 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 parsing of XPS files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of a user-supplied value prior to dereferencing it as a pointer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-18278.

• CWE-822Untrusted Pointer DereferenceThe product obtains a value from an untrusted source, converts this value to a pointer, and dereferences the resulting pointer.
• CWE-119Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory BufferThe product performs operations on a memory buffer, but it reads from or writes to a memory location outside the buffer's intended boundary. This may result in read or write operations on unexpected memory locations that could be linked to other variables, data structures, or internal program data.