How severe is CVE-2020-35931?

CVE-2020-35931 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-35931 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (81st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-35931?

CVE-2020-35931 primarily affects Foxitsoftware Foxit Reader. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-35931?

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-2020-35931 published?

CVE-2020-35931 was published on 2020-12-31 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-35931

CVE-2020-35931 is a high-severity vulnerability in Foxitsoftware Foxit Reader with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. 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-754.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 6.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (81st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-754
Affected product: Foxitsoftware Foxit Reader
Published: 2020-12-31
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in Foxit Reader before 10.1.1 (and before 4.1.1 on macOS) and PhantomPDF before 9.7.5 and 10.x before 10.1.1 (and before 4.1.1 on macOS). An attacker can spoof a certified PDF document via an Evil Annotation Attack because the products fail to consider a null value for a Subtype entry of the Annotation dictionary, in an incremental update.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-35931?: An issue was discovered in Foxit Reader before 10.1.1 (and before 4.1.1 on macOS) and PhantomPDF before 9.7.5 and 10.x before 10.1.1 (and before 4.1.1 on macOS). An attacker can spoof a certified PDF document via an Evil Annotation Attack because the products fail to consider a null value for a Subtype entry of the Annotation dictionary, in an incremental update.
How severe is CVE-2020-35931?: CVE-2020-35931 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-35931 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (81st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-35931?: CVE-2020-35931 primarily affects Foxitsoftware Foxit Reader. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-35931?: 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-2020-35931 published?: CVE-2020-35931 was published on 2020-12-31 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

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

Affected products (2)

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

Other CWE-754 (Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions) vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-24054 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Kata Containers is an open source project focusing on a standard implementation of lightweight Virtual Machines (VMs)…
CVE-2021-0211 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): An improper check for unusual or exceptional conditions in Juniper Networks Junos OS and Junos OS Evolved Routing…
CVE-2026-8091 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Incorrect boundary conditions in the Audio/Video: Playback component. This vulnerability was fixed in Firefox 150,…
CVE-2024-52316 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Unchecked Error Condition vulnerability in Apache Tomcat. If Tomcat is configured to use a custom Jakarta…
CVE-2024-7826 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions vulnerability in Webroot SecureAnywhere - Web Shield on Windows,…
CVE-2023-37303 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An issue was discovered in the CheckUser extension for MediaWiki through 1.39.3. In certain situations, an attempt to…

Browse all CWE-754 (Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions) vulnerabilities →