CVE-2025-66496 is a memory corruption vulnerability classified as CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read) found in Foxit PDF Reader's handling of 3D annotations, specifically when parsing PRC (Product Representation Compact) data embedded within PDF files. The vulnerability stems from insufficient bounds checking during the parsing process, which allows specially crafted or malformed PRC content to trigger out-of-bounds memory access. This can lead to memory corruption, potentially causing application crashes or enabling an attacker to read sensitive memory contents, thereby compromising confidentiality and integrity. The affected versions include Foxit PDF Reader 13.2.1 and earlier, 14.0.1 and earlier, and 2025.2.1 and earlier, indicating a broad range of impacted releases. The attack vector is local, requiring the victim to open a malicious PDF file, with no privileges needed but user interaction required. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.3, reflecting medium severity. No public exploits have been reported yet, but the vulnerability could be leveraged in targeted attacks or malware campaigns distributing malicious PDFs. The flaw specifically targets the 3D annotation feature, which is less commonly used but prevalent in technical, engineering, and architectural documents. The lack of available patches at the time of publication necessitates immediate attention to mitigation strategies. The vulnerability's exploitation could result in partial disclosure of memory contents, application instability, or denial of service, impacting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected systems.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-66496 depends on their reliance on Foxit PDF Reader, particularly in environments where 3D PDF annotations are common, such as engineering, manufacturing, architecture, and technical documentation sectors. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information contained in memory, potentially exposing intellectual property or confidential data. Memory corruption might also cause application crashes, disrupting workflows and leading to denial of service conditions. Given the medium CVSS score and requirement for user interaction, widespread automated exploitation is less likely; however, targeted phishing or spear-phishing campaigns could leverage this vulnerability to compromise endpoints. Organizations processing large volumes of PDFs from external or untrusted sources are at higher risk. The vulnerability could also be chained with other exploits to escalate privileges or execute arbitrary code, increasing its threat level. Disruption in critical infrastructure sectors using Foxit PDF Reader could have cascading effects on operational continuity. Overall, the vulnerability poses a moderate risk to confidentiality, integrity, and availability, necessitating timely mitigation to prevent potential exploitation.

1. Disable or restrict the use of 3D annotations in Foxit PDF Reader where possible, especially if not required for business processes. 2. Implement strict email and web gateway filtering to block or quarantine PDF files containing 3D annotations or suspicious PRC data. 3. Educate users to avoid opening PDFs from untrusted or unknown sources, emphasizing the risk of maliciously crafted documents. 4. Employ endpoint protection solutions with memory corruption detection and behavior analysis to identify and block exploitation attempts. 5. Monitor for unusual application crashes or memory errors related to Foxit PDF Reader as potential indicators of exploitation. 6. Maintain an inventory of Foxit PDF Reader deployments and versions to prioritize patching once updates addressing this vulnerability are released. 7. Consider sandboxing PDF reader applications or running them in isolated environments to limit impact of potential exploitation. 8. Use application whitelisting and restrict execution privileges to minimize the attack surface. 9. Collaborate with Foxit Software Inc. for timely updates and security advisories. 10. Review and update incident response plans to include scenarios involving malicious PDF files exploiting memory corruption vulnerabilities.