CVE-2024-8844VulnerabilityPublished 22 Nov 2024

CVE-2024-8844: 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: 0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 30% 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

1. Avoid opening PDF files from untrusted or unknown sources until a patch is released. 2. Employ network and endpoint security solutions that can detect and block malicious PDF files or suspicious behaviors related to PDF-XChange Editor. 3. Use sandboxing or application isolation techniques to limit the impact of potential exploitation. 4. Monitor vendor communications closely for patches or updates addressing this vulnerability and apply them promptly. 5. Educate users about the risks of opening unsolicited or suspicious PDF documents. 6. Consider using alternative PDF readers with a strong security track record if immediate patching is not possible. 7. Implement Data Loss Prevention (DLP) controls to monitor sensitive information exposure. 8. Conduct regular security assessments and penetration tests focusing on document handling workflows.

Description

PDF-XChange Editor PDF 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 PDF 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-24550.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2024-8844 is the potential disclosure of sensitive information from the memory of the PDF-XChange Editor process. This could include fragments of documents, user data, or other in-memory secrets, which may aid attackers in further exploitation or reconnaissance. Although the vulnerability alone does not allow code execution, it can be chained with other vulnerabilities to escalate privileges or execute arbitrary code, increasing the risk significantly. Organizations that frequently handle untrusted PDF documents, such as legal, financial, or government sectors, may face increased risk of data leakage or targeted attacks. The requirement for user interaction limits mass exploitation but does not eliminate risk in environments where users frequently open external PDFs. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate threat but vigilance is necessary as attackers may develop exploits over time. Overall, the impact is currently low but could escalate if combined with other vulnerabilities.

Summary

CVE-2024-8844 is a security vulnerability classified as CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read) affecting PDF-XChange Editor version 10.3.0.386. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied data during the parsing of PDF files, which leads to reading memory beyond the intended buffer boundaries. This out-of-bounds read can cause disclosure of sensitive information from the process memory space. The vulnerability requires user interaction, meaning an attacker must convince the victim to open a crafted malicious PDF file or visit a malicious webpage that triggers the vulnerability. While the direct impact is information disclosure, the vulnerability can be leveraged in combination with other exploits to achieve arbitrary code execution within the context of the PDF-XChange Editor process. The CVSS v3.0 base score is 3.3, reflecting low severity due to the requirement of user interaction and limited impact scope (confidentiality impact only). No public exploits or active exploitation have been reported to date. The vulnerability was reported by the Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) and is publicly disclosed as of November 22, 2024. No official patches have been linked yet, but users should monitor vendor advisories for updates. This vulnerability highlights the risks associated with parsing complex file formats like PDF without robust input validation.

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-24-1267/ (opens in a new tab)

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 27 Feb 2026, 16:26 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-125

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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