CVE-2024-8818: PDF-XChange Editor · Use After Free
Affects PDF-XChange EditorSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 06:26 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 24% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 22 Nov 2024
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-26.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| PDF-XChange PDF-XChange Editor | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
Until an official patch is released, organizations should implement several targeted mitigations: 1) Restrict or disable the use of PDF-XChange Editor version 10.3.0.386, especially in high-risk user groups. 2) Employ application whitelisting and sandboxing to limit the execution context of PDF-XChange Editor, reducing the impact of potential exploitation. 3) Educate users to avoid opening PDFs from untrusted or unknown sources and to be cautious with email attachments and links. 4) Use network-level protections such as email filtering and web content scanning to block malicious PDFs and URLs. 5) Monitor endpoint behavior for suspicious activity indicative of exploitation attempts, such as unexpected process spawning or memory corruption alerts. 6) Prepare for rapid deployment of patches once available by maintaining an up-to-date asset inventory and patch management process. 7) Consider alternative PDF readers with a better security track record if immediate patching is not feasible.
Description
PDF-XChange Editor U3D File Parsing Use-After-Free Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. 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 U3D files. 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-24213.