CVE-2025-14410 Overview
CVE-2025-14410 is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Soda PDF Desktop that allows remote attackers to disclose sensitive information from affected installations. The flaw resides in the PDF file parsing logic, where user-supplied data is not properly validated before use. Exploitation requires user interaction: the target must open a malicious PDF file or visit a page that delivers one. While the vulnerability itself only leaks memory contents, attackers can chain it with other bugs to achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the current process. The issue was reported through the Zero Day Initiative as ZDI-CAN-27142 and published as advisory ZDI-25-1083.
Critical Impact
Memory disclosure via crafted PDF files, enabling exploit chains that can lead to arbitrary code execution in the user's process context.
Affected Products
- Soda PDF Desktop version 14.0.509.23030
- Sodapdf Soda PDF (as identified in the CPE inventory)
- Windows desktop installations parsing untrusted PDF documents
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-12-23 - CVE-2025-14410 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-14410
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2025-14410 is classified as an out-of-bounds read [CWE-125] in the PDF parsing component of Soda PDF Desktop. When the application processes a malformed PDF, it reads past the end of an allocated object, returning adjacent heap memory to the caller. That leaked data can include pointers, object metadata, or other process memory relevant to bypassing exploit mitigations such as Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR).
The vulnerability is local and requires user interaction, but it does not require elevated privileges. In isolation it enables information disclosure only. Combined with a memory-write or type-confusion primitive, however, it becomes a building block for arbitrary code execution in the context of the user running Soda PDF Desktop.
Root Cause
The root cause is insufficient validation of length and offset fields supplied inside PDF file structures. The parser trusts attacker-controlled sizes when reading from internal buffers, allowing the read cursor to advance beyond the allocated object boundary. No bounds check reconciles the declared object size with the actual allocation size before the read occurs.
Attack Vector
An attacker crafts a malicious PDF and delivers it through email, a download link, or a compromised web page. When the victim opens the file in Soda PDF Desktop, the parser triggers the out-of-bounds read and returns memory contents to attacker-controlled fields. The attacker then exfiltrates the disclosed data, typically to defeat ASLR before staging a second-stage exploit.
See the Zero Day Initiative Advisory ZDI-25-1083 for the technical write-up.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-14410
Indicators of Compromise
- PDF files with malformed object streams, invalid /Length fields, or oversized cross-reference table entries opened by SodaPDF.exe.
- Unexpected crashes or exception logs from Soda PDF Desktop processes shortly after opening documents from untrusted sources.
- Outbound network connections initiated by SodaPDF.exe immediately after a PDF is opened, indicating potential exfiltration of leaked memory.
Detection Strategies
- Inspect endpoints for the vulnerable version string 14.0.509.23030 via software inventory queries.
- Alert on Soda PDF Desktop child processes spawning command interpreters such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or wscript.exe, which is common in chained exploitation.
- Correlate PDF open events with process memory anomalies, unhandled exceptions, or Windows Error Reporting entries referencing SodaPDF.exe.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable file-write and process-execution telemetry from user download directories and email attachment paths.
- Monitor for PDF files delivered from external senders that are opened within minutes of arrival.
- Track EDR crash telemetry from PDF reader processes to identify parser instability that may indicate exploitation attempts.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-14410
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all endpoints running Soda PDF Desktop 14.0.509.23030 and prioritize them for update once the vendor publishes a fixed build.
- Restrict opening of PDF files from untrusted sources until the patch is deployed.
- Route inbound PDF attachments through a sandboxed rendering service or web-based viewer to isolate parsing from user endpoints.
Patch Information
As of the last NVD update on 2026-06-17, no vendor advisory URL is listed in the CVE record. Refer to the Zero Day Initiative Advisory ZDI-25-1083 and the Soda PDF vendor site for the most current fixed version, and apply it once available.
Workarounds
- Configure the operating system to open PDF files with an alternative, patched viewer by default until Soda PDF Desktop is updated.
- Block or quarantine PDF attachments from untrusted senders at the email gateway.
- Enforce application allow-listing policies that prevent Soda PDF Desktop from spawning scripting or command-shell child processes.
- Enable Windows Exploit Protection features such as ASLR, DEP, and CFG for SodaPDF.exe to raise the cost of chaining this bug into code execution.
# Example: query installed Soda PDF Desktop version on Windows endpoints
Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* |
Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -like 'Soda PDF*' } |
Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion, InstallLocation
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
