CVE-2023-39493: pdf-tools (CVSS 7.8)

Description

PDF-XChange Editor exportAsText Exposed Dangerous Method Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of PDF-XChange Editor. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the exportAsText method. The application exposes a JavaScript interface that allows writing arbitrary files. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current user. Was ZDI-CAN-19649.

Is your site exposed to CVE-2023-39493?

Run a free security scan — no signup, results in seconds.

CVSS v3.1 Score

7.8

HIGH

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-749 CWE-749

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
pdf-xchange	pdf-tools	All
pdf-xchange	pdf-xchange_editor	All

References

Other References

https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-23-1130/ https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-23-1130/

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-39493? +

PDF-XChange Editor exportAsText Exposed Dangerous Method Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of PDF-XChange Editor. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the exportAsText method. The application exposes a JavaScript interface that allows writing arbitrary files. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current user. Was ZDI-CAN-19649. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2023-39493? +

CVE-2023-39493 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-39493? +

CVE-2023-39493 affects products from pdf-xchange, specifically: pdf-tools, pdf-xchange_editor. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2023-39493? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

Related Vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-47899

The Electron preload script in Logseq exposes an API method that allows the renderer process to invoke IPC handlers without …

CVE-2025-34114

A client-side security misconfiguration vulnerability exists in OpenBlow whistleblowing platform across multiple versions and default deployments, due to the absence …

CVE-2022-31491 10.0

Voltronic Power ViewPower through 1.04-24215, ViewPower Pro through 2.0-22165, and PowerShield Netguard before 1.04-23292 allows a remote attacker to run …

CVE-2026-55454 9.9

Appsmith is a platform to build admin panels, internal tools, and dashboards. Prior to 2.1, the bundled Caddy reverse-proxy's admin …

CVE-2024-32764 9.9

A missing authentication for critical function vulnerability has been reported to affect myQNAPcloud Link. If exploited, the vulnerability could allow …

CVE-2025-59403 9.8

The Flock Safety Android Collins application (aka com.flocksafety.android.collins) 6.35.31 for Android lacks authentication. It is responsible for the camera feed …

CVE-2023-39493