Is CVE-2021-34842 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2021-34842 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2021-34842 be exploited remotely?

No. CVE-2021-34842 requires local access to exploit.

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-34842?

CVE-2021-34842 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH).

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HIGH

CVE-2021-34842

CWE-416Published: August 4, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Foxit PDF Reader 11.0.0.49893. 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 Annotation objects. The issue results from the lack of validating the existence of an object prior to performing operations on the object. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-14024.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2021-34842 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

Exploitation does not require any privileges, though user interaction (Required) is needed, which slightly reduces the risk of mass automated attacks.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.8.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-416): Use-after-free vulnerabilities involve accessing memory after it has been freed, often enabling arbitrary code execution.