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CVE-2023-6401· NVD / CVE Program· CNA VulDB

NotePad++ dbghelp.exe uncontrolled search path

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 31/100)

  • Public proof-of-concept code exists (GitHub); there is no record of exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.33% (FIRST EPSS).
  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • According to the record, no fixed version is available yet.
  • Severity is disputed: the assigning authority (CNA) scores it 5.3, NVD 7.8.

Low priority for now. Update when a fix is released; follow the vendor's advisory.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

A vulnerability classified as problematic was found in NotePad++ up to 8.1. Affected by this vulnerability is an unknown functionality of the file dbghelp.exe. The manipulation leads to uncontrolled search path. An attack has to be approached locally. The identifier VDB-246421 was assigned to this vulnerability. NOTE: The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.

HighCVSS 7.8 · v3.1—Proof of concept No fix recorded
Published
Nov 30, 2023
Updated
Jun 17, 2026
EPSS
0.3% · 24th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

31

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.3%

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
7.8
CNA · VulDB
5.3
2.5 point gap

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • Proof of concept exists, no weaponized module
  • No fixed version yet

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2023-6401

When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
notepad-plus-plusnotepad\+\+

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • notepad-plus-plus notepad++up to 8.1 inclusive

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (VulDB). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • n/a NotePad++

    • 8.0, 8.1affected

Same product

notepad-plus-plus: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2025-15556Notepad++ < 8.8.9 WinGUp Updater Lacks Update Integrity VerificationKEV
    61This week
  • CVE-2026-52884Notepad++: CVE-2026-48800 Bypass
    31Monitor
  • CVE-2026-48800Notepad++: Arbitrary Code Execution via shortcuts.xml UserCommand Injection
    31Monitor

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2023-40164Aug 25, 2023 · Notepad++ global buffer read overflow in nsCodingStateMachine::NextState
    22Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2023-40166Aug 25, 2023 · Notepad++ heap buffer read overflow in FileManager::detectLanguageFromTextBegining
    22Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2023-47452Nov 30, 2023 · An Untrusted search path vulnerability in notepad++ 6.5 allows local users to gain escalated privileges through the msimg32.dll file in the
    31Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.

Exploit status

Proof of concept available

A public proof of concept or detection signature exists. Exploit knowledge is out there; don't delay patching.

Evidence

  • Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×1

Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.

Public exploit evidence
SourceKindDate
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:02025-06-18

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

  1. Published
  2. First PoC+566 d
  3. TodayOct 19, 2026+1054 d
EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

  • CVE-2023-474520 days apartAn Untrusted search path vulnerability in notepad++ 6.5 allows local users to gain escalated privileges through the msimg32.dll file in the
    31Monitor
  • CVE-2022-32168428 days apartnotepad-plus-plus - DLL Hijacking
    31Monitor

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
  • A low-privileged account is enough.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-427 · Uncontrolled Search Path Element

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

Change log

No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.

References

Show all references (1 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records