Arbitrary code execution via unrestricted DLL search
Published Sep 28, 2022 · Updated May 21, 2025
DLL hijacking in Notepad++ 8.4.4 and earlier allows local users to execute arbitrary code by planting a malicious UxTheme.dll. NppParameters::load calls LoadLibrary on uxtheme.dll without restricting the search to System32, so a planted file can be loaded first. Exploitation requires write access to a searched directory and a user to launch the application; the payload runs with that process's privileges.
Summary
What happened
DLL hijacking in Notepad++ 8.4.4 and earlier allows local users to execute arbitrary code by planting a malicious UxTheme.dll. NppParameters::load calls LoadLibrary on uxtheme.dll without restricting the search to System32, so a planted file can be loaded first. Exploitation requires write access to a searched directory and a user to launch the application; the payload runs with that process's privileges.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-32168
- Published
- Sep 28, 2022
- Updated
- May 21, 2025
- Vendor
- Notepad++
- Product
- Notepad++
- Classifications
- CWE-427, T1574.002
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 28, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 21, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=unspecified <=v8.4.4
- Affected versionversion=v8.3 <unspecified
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
- Accepted UxTheme.dll hijacking proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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