Vulnerability in Foxit Reader Could Allow Remote Code Execution

Executive Summary

Microsoft is providing notification of the discovery and remediation of a vulnerability affecting Foxit Reader version 4.0 and earlier. Microsoft discovered and disclosed the vulnerability under coordinated vulnerability disclosure to the affected vendor, Foxit Software. Foxit Software has remediated the vulnerability in their software.

An exploitable vulnerability exists in the way that Foxit Reader handles certain invalid font types. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by causing the Foxit Reader to exit unexpectedly, allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary code. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the logged-on user. If a user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.

Microsoft Vulnerability Research reported this issue to and coordinated with Foxit Software to ensure remediation of this issue. The issue has been assigned the entry, CVE-2011-1908, in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list. For more information, including information about updates from Foxit Software, see Foxit Software Security Bulletins.

Mitigating Factors

• In a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a Web site that contains a document that is used to exploit this vulnerability. In all cases, however, an attacker would have no way to force users to visit the Web site. Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link in an e-mail message or Instant Messenger message that takes users to the attacker’s Web site.
• The vulnerability cannot be exploited automatically through e-mail. For an attack to be successful, a user must open an attachment that is sent in an e-mail message.
• An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.