How severe is CVE-2021-31454?

CVE-2021-31454 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-2021-31454 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (83rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-31454?

CVE-2021-31454 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-2021-31454?

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-2021-31454 published?

CVE-2021-31454 was published on 2021-05-07 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-31454

CVE-2021-31454 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-122.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 6.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (83rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-122
Affected product: Foxitsoftware Foxit Reader
Published: 2021-05-07
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Foxit Reader 10.1.1.37576. 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 handling of the Decimal element. A crafted leadDigits value in a Decimal element can trigger an overflow of a fixed-length heap-based buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-13095.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-31454?: This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Foxit Reader 10.1.1.37576. 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 handling of the Decimal element. A crafted leadDigits value in a Decimal element can trigger an overflow of a fixed-length heap-based buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-13095.
How severe is CVE-2021-31454?: CVE-2021-31454 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-2021-31454 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (83rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-31454?: CVE-2021-31454 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-2021-31454?: 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-2021-31454 published?: CVE-2021-31454 was published on 2021-05-07 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (2)

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

Other CWE-122 (Heap-based Buffer Overflow) vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-46752 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Redis Lua HEAP overflow in cjson library vulnerability in Apache Kvrocks. This issue affects Apache Kvrocks: from…
CVE-2026-24822 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Out-of-bounds Write, Heap-based Buffer Overflow vulnerability in ttttupup wxhelper (src modules). This vulnerability is…
CVE-2025-23123 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A malicious actor with access to the management network could execute a remote code execution (RCE) by exploiting a…
CVE-2022-34819 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A vulnerability has been identified in SIMATIC CP 1242-7 V2 (All versions < V3.3.46), SIMATIC CP 1243-1 (All versions <…
CVE-2026-44050 — Critical (CVSS 9.9): A heap-based buffer overflow in the CNID daemon comm_rcv() function in Netatalk 2.0.0 through 4.4.2 allows a remote…
CVE-2026-49841 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): FreeSWITCH is a Software Defined Telecom Stack enabling the digital transformation from proprietary telecom switches to…

Browse all CWE-122 (Heap-based Buffer Overflow) vulnerabilities →