#VU47162 Untrusted search path in Foxit PDF Reader for Windows and Foxit PDF Editor (formerly Foxit PhantomPDF) - CVE-2020-26538

Vulnerability identifier: #VU47162

Vulnerability risk: Medium

CVSSv4.0: 4 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Green]

CVE-ID: CVE-2020-26538

CWE-ID: CWE-426

Exploitation vector: Network

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
Foxit PDF Reader for Windows
Client/Desktop applications / Office applications
Foxit PDF Editor (formerly Foxit PhantomPDF)
Client/Desktop applications / Office applications

Vendor: Foxit Software Inc.

Description

The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to compromise the affected system.

The vulnerability exists during application installation, as the installer file searches for taskkill.exe in the current working directory. A remote attacker can trick the victim to launch the installer file from a remote SMB share and execute arbitrary code on the system.

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

Foxit PDF Reader for Windows: 9.0 - 10.0.1.35811

Foxit PDF Editor (formerly Foxit PhantomPDF): 9.0 - 9.7.3.29555, 10.0.0.35798 - 10.0.1.35811

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External links
https://www.foxitsoftware.com/support/security-bulletins.html#10.1

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

Yes. This vulnerability can be exploited by a remote non-authenticated attacker via the Internet.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.