How severe is CVE-2018-21244?

CVE-2018-21244 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-21244 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (76th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-21244?

CVE-2018-21244 affects Foxitsoftware Phantompdf. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-21244?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2018-21244 published?

CVE-2018-21244 was published on 2020-06-04 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-21244

CVE-2018-21244 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Foxitsoftware Phantompdf with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-434.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (76th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-434
Affected product: Foxitsoftware Phantompdf
Published: 2020-06-04
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in Foxit PhantomPDF before 8.3.6. It allows arbitrary application execution via an embedded executable file in a PDF portfolio, aka FG-VD-18-029.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-21244?: An issue was discovered in Foxit PhantomPDF before 8.3.6. It allows arbitrary application execution via an embedded executable file in a PDF portfolio, aka FG-VD-18-029.
How severe is CVE-2018-21244?: CVE-2018-21244 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-21244 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (76th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-21244?: CVE-2018-21244 affects Foxitsoftware Phantompdf. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-21244?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2018-21244 published?: CVE-2018-21244 was published on 2020-06-04 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://www.foxitsoftware.com/support/security-bulletins.php

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:foxitsoftware:phantompdf:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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