CVE-2024-9255: Foxit PDF Reader · Use After Free
Affects Foxit PDF ReaderSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.6% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 49% 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 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Foxit PDF Reader | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
- Immediately monitor Foxit’s official channels for patches addressing CVE-2024-9255 and apply updates as soon as they become available.
- Until a patch is released, restrict usage of Foxit PDF Reader 2024.2.3.25184, especially in high-risk environments.
- Employ application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized code spawned by the PDF reader.
- Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to monitor for suspicious behavior related to PDF processing and annotation handling.
- Educate users to avoid opening PDFs from untrusted or unknown sources and to be cautious with email attachments and links.
- Consider sandboxing PDF reader applications or opening PDFs in isolated environments to contain potential exploitation.
- Implement network-level protections such as blocking known malicious domains and scanning email attachments for malicious content.
- Review and harden user privileges to minimize impact if exploitation occurs, avoiding running PDF readers with administrative rights.
- Maintain up-to-date backups to enable recovery in case of compromise.
- Conduct threat hunting for indicators of compromise related to PDF-based attacks targeting this vulnerability.
Description
Foxit PDF Reader Annotation Use-After-Free Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. 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. Was ZDI-CAN-25174.