Local code execution via dbghelp.dll search-order hijacking
Published Nov 30, 2023 · Updated Aug 2, 2024
DLL search-order hijacking in Notepad++ 8.0 and 8.1 allows local users to execute code by planting dbghelp.dll beside the executable. On startup, notepad++.exe requests dbghelp.dll without constraining the load to the Windows system directory, so the application-directory copy loads first. The attacker needs write access to the Notepad++ application directory; the planted DLL runs with the privileges of the user who launches Notepad++.
Summary
What happened
DLL search-order hijacking in Notepad++ 8.0 and 8.1 allows local users to execute code by planting dbghelp.dll beside the executable. On startup, notepad++.exe requests dbghelp.dll without constraining the load to the Windows system directory, so the application-directory copy loads first. The attacker needs write access to the Notepad++ application directory; the planted DLL runs with the privileges of the user who launches Notepad++.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-6401
- Published
- Nov 30, 2023
- Updated
- Aug 2, 2024
- Vendor
- Notepad++
- Product
- Notepad++
- Classifications
- CWE-427, T1574.001
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Nov 30, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 2, 2024Record 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=8.0
- Affected versionversion=8.1
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- CVE-2023-6401 DLL Hijacking Proof-of-Conceptproof of concept · unverified
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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