CVE-2020-13548

CVE-2020-13548 is a high-severity vulnerability in Foxitsoftware Foxit Reader with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 67% places it in the 99th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-416.

Key facts

• Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
• CVSS v2: 6.8
• EPSS exploit prediction: 67% (99th percentile)
• Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
• Weakness: CWE-416
• Affected product: Foxitsoftware Foxit Reader
• Published: 2021-02-10
• Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In Foxit Reader 10.1.0.37527, a specially crafted PDF document can trigger reuse of previously free memory which can lead to arbitrary code execution. An attacker needs to trick the user to open the malicious file to trigger this vulnerability. If the browser plugin extension is enabled, visiting a malicious site can also trigger the vulnerability.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-13548?

In Foxit Reader 10.1.0.37527, a specially crafted PDF document can trigger reuse of previously free memory which can lead to arbitrary code execution. An attacker needs to trick the user to open the malicious file to trigger this vulnerability. If the browser plugin extension is enabled, visiting a malicious site can also trigger the vulnerability.

How severe is CVE-2020-13548?

CVE-2020-13548 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-13548 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 67% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-13548?

CVE-2020-13548 affects Foxitsoftware Foxit Reader. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-13548?

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

When was CVE-2020-13548 published?

CVE-2020-13548 was published on 2021-02-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

• https://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2020-1166

Affected products (1)

• cpe:2.3:a:foxitsoftware:foxit_reader:10.1.0.37527:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Foxitsoftware Foxit Reader

• CVE-2021-38574 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An issue was discovered in Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF before 10.1.4. It allows SQL Injection via crafted data at the…
• CVE-2021-38573 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An issue was discovered in Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF before 10.1.4. It allows writing to arbitrary files because a…
• CVE-2021-38572 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An issue was discovered in Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF before 10.1.4. It allows writing to arbitrary files because the…
• CVE-2021-38568 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An issue was discovered in Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF before 10.1.4. It allows memory corruption during conversion of…
• CVE-2021-33793 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Foxit Reader before 10.1.4 and PhantomPDF before 10.1.4 have an out-of-bounds write because the Cross-Reference table…
• CVE-2020-26539 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An issue was discovered in Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF before 10.1. When there is a multiple interpretation error for…

All CVEs affecting Foxitsoftware Foxit Reader →

Other CWE-416 (Use After Free) vulnerabilities

• CVE-2026-13782 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Use after free in Browser in Google Chrome prior to 150.0.7871.47 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the…
• CVE-2026-4725 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Sandbox escape due to use-after-free in the Graphics: Canvas2D component. This vulnerability was fixed in Firefox 149…
• CVE-2026-4688 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Sandbox escape due to use-after-free in the Disability Access APIs component. This vulnerability was fixed in Firefox…
• CVE-2025-24085 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A use after free issue was addressed with improved memory management. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3,…
• CVE-2024-43102 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Concurrent removals of certain anonymous shared memory mappings by using the UMTX_SHM_DESTROY sub-request of…
• CVE-2021-32495 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Radare2 has a use-after-free vulnerability in pyc parser's get_none_object function. Attacker can read freed memory…

Browse all CWE-416 (Use After Free) vulnerabilities →