CVE-2024-29072Public exploit

SYSTEM code execution via unvalidated updater certificate

Published May 28, 2024 · Updated Feb 13, 2025

Privilege escalation in Foxit PDF Reader 2024.2.0.25138 allows local users to execute a signed replacement updater as SYSTEM. FoxitPDFReaderUpdateService.exe treats any signed updater as trusted without validating its signing certificate, then starts it as SYSTEM. A low-privilege user must replace the user-writable updater during an update race; successful exploitation grants SYSTEM code execution.

CVSS severity8.2
High
EPSS probability0.46%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in Foxit PDF Reader 2024.2.0.25138 allows local users to execute a signed replacement updater as SYSTEM. FoxitPDFReaderUpdateService.exe treats any signed updater as trusted without validating its signing certificate, then starts it as SYSTEM. A low-privilege user must replace the user-writable updater during an update race; successful exploitation grants SYSTEM code execution.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-29072
Published
May 28, 2024
Updated
Feb 13, 2025
Vendor
Foxit Software
Product
Foxit PDF Reader
Classifications
CWE-295, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 28, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 13, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=2024.2.0.25138

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Foxit Software · Foxit PDF Readerversion=2024.2.0.25138

Published CVSS scores

8.2TalosCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-295Improper Certificate Validation
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

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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