CVE-2024-8835VulnerabilityPublished 22 Nov 2024

CVE-2024-8835: PDF-XChange Editor · Out-of-bounds Read

Affects PDF-XChange EditorSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 3.3 Low.

Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC

CVSS 3.0 base score

3.3Low

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 19% 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:L/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: Low
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Local: The vulnerable component is not bound to the network stack and the attacker’s path is via read/write/execute capabilities. Either: the attacker exploits the vulnerability by accessing the target system locally (e.g., keyboard, console), or remotely (e.g., SSH); or the attacker relies on User Interaction by another person to perform actions required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., tricking a legitimate user into opening a malicious document).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: Required: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user to take some action before the vulnerability can be exploited.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the impacted component.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation 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 2026-10-25.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
PDF-XChange PDF-XChange Editor	Affected =10.3.0.386	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2024-8835, organizations should implement the following specific measures: 1) Restrict or monitor the use of PDF-XChange Editor version 10.3.0.386, especially in environments handling sensitive documents. 2) Educate users to avoid opening PDFs from untrusted or unknown sources, particularly those containing JB2 images or suspicious content. 3) Employ network and endpoint security solutions capable of detecting and blocking malicious PDF files or suspicious file behaviors. 4) Use sandboxing or application isolation techniques to limit the impact of potential exploitation by running PDF-XChange Editor in a restricted environment. 5) Monitor vendor communications closely for patches or updates addressing this vulnerability and apply them promptly once available. 6) Consider alternative PDF viewers with a strong security track record if immediate patching is not feasible. 7) Implement data loss prevention (DLP) controls to detect and prevent unauthorized exfiltration of sensitive information that could result from exploitation. 8) Conduct regular security awareness training emphasizing the risks of opening untrusted documents. These targeted actions go beyond generic advice by focusing on the specific attack vector and exploitation requirements of this vulnerability.

Description

PDF-XChange Editor JB2 File Parsing Out-Of-Bounds Read Information Disclosure Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to disclose sensitive information 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 JB2 files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a read past the end of an allocated object. An attacker can leverage this in conjunction with other vulnerabilities to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-24320.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2024-8835 is the potential disclosure of sensitive information from the memory space of the PDF-XChange Editor process. This could include fragments of documents, user data, or other sensitive information residing in memory. While the vulnerability alone does not allow code execution, it increases the attack surface by enabling attackers to gather information that could facilitate further exploitation, such as bypassing security controls or crafting more effective attacks. Organizations handling sensitive or confidential documents with PDF-XChange Editor are at risk of data leakage if users open malicious PDFs. The requirement for user interaction limits large-scale automated exploitation, but targeted attacks against high-value individuals or organizations remain a concern. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk, but the potential for chaining with other vulnerabilities to achieve remote code execution elevates the threat over time. This vulnerability could disrupt confidentiality and trust in document handling processes, especially in sectors like government, finance, legal, and healthcare where PDF documents are prevalent.

Summary

CVE-2024-8835 is a security vulnerability identified in the PDF-XChange Editor, specifically version 10.3.0.386. The vulnerability arises from improper validation during the parsing of JB2 image files embedded within PDFs. JB2 is a compression format used for bi-level images in PDFs. The flaw is an out-of-bounds read (CWE-125), where the software reads memory beyond the allocated buffer due to insufficient bounds checking of user-supplied data. This can lead to information disclosure by leaking sensitive memory contents to an attacker. Exploitation requires user interaction, such as opening a maliciously crafted PDF or visiting a webpage that triggers the vulnerability through embedded PDF content. Although the direct impact is limited to information disclosure, the vulnerability can be leveraged in combination with other vulnerabilities to achieve arbitrary code execution within the context of the PDF-XChange Editor process. The vulnerability was reported by the Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) as ZDI-CAN-24320 and published on November 22, 2024. The CVSS v3.0 base score is 3.3, reflecting low severity due to local attack vector, low impact on confidentiality, and the requirement for user interaction. No patches or fixes have been released at the time of reporting, and no active exploitation has been observed in the wild. The affected product is widely used for PDF viewing and editing, making the vulnerability relevant for organizations relying on PDF-XChange Editor for document handling.

CWE-125Out-of-bounds Read (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessCWE Top 25 (2025): #8
The product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.
Implementation · Input Validation
Assume all input is malicious. Use an "accept known good" input validation strategy, i.e., use a list of acceptable inputs that strictly conform to specifications. Reject any input that does not strictly conform to specifications, or transform it into something that does.
Architecture and Design · Language Selection
Use a language that provides appropriate memory abstractions.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
XML Security (opens in a new tab)
Mass Assignment (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V13.3.1 (opens in a new tab)
V5.1.4 (opens in a new tab)
V5.1.3 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Overread Buffers (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-24-1258/ (opens in a new tab)

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 25 Feb 2026, 22:49 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-125

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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