CVE-2021-38567Network attack vector

Application crash via missing PDF dictionary entries

Published Aug 11, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

NULL pointer dereference while parsing PDFs in Foxit PDF Editor and Reader before 11.0.1 on macOS allows remote attackers to crash the application. The PDF parser fails to validate missing dictionary entries before dereferencing them, causing memory corruption and termination when it handles a crafted PDF. Exploitation requires the application to process a specially crafted PDF and interrupts only that application, with no published confidentiality or integrity impact.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.99%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference while parsing PDFs in Foxit PDF Editor and Reader before 11.0.1 on macOS allows remote attackers to crash the application. The PDF parser fails to validate missing dictionary entries before dereferencing them, causing memory corruption and termination when it handles a crafted PDF. Exploitation requires the application to process a specially crafted PDF and interrupts only that application, with no published confidentiality or integrity impact.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-38567
Published
Aug 11, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 11, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

5.0NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
7.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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