How severe is CVE-2023-40036?

CVE-2023-40036 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2023-40036 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (34th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-40036?

CVE-2023-40036 affects Notepad-plus-plus Notepad++. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-40036?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2023-40036 published?

CVE-2023-40036 was published on 2023-08-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-40036

CVE-2023-40036 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Notepad-plus-plus Notepad++ with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-120.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (34th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-120
Affected product: Notepad-plus-plus Notepad++
Published: 2023-08-25
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. Versions 8.5.6 and prior are vulnerable to global buffer read overflow in `CharDistributionAnalysis::HandleOneChar`. The exploitability of this issue is not clear. Potentially, it may be used to leak internal memory allocation information. As of time of publication, no known patches are available in existing versions of Notepad++.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-40036?: Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. Versions 8.5.6 and prior are vulnerable to global buffer read overflow in `CharDistributionAnalysis::HandleOneChar`. The exploitability of this issue is not clear. Potentially, it may be used to leak internal memory allocation information. As of time of publication, no known patches are available in existing versions of Notepad++.
How severe is CVE-2023-40036?: CVE-2023-40036 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2023-40036 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (34th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-40036?: CVE-2023-40036 affects Notepad-plus-plus Notepad++. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-40036?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2023-40036 published?: CVE-2023-40036 was published on 2023-08-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://securitylab.github.com/advisories/GHSL-2023-092_Notepad__/

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:notepad-plus-plus:notepad\+\+:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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