CVE-2025-56383

Published Sep 26, 2025

Last updated a day ago

Notepad++

Overview

AI description

Automated description summarized from trusted sources.

CVE-2025-56383 is a DLL hijacking vulnerability found in Notepad++ version 8.8.3. This vulnerability allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code on a victim's machine. The vulnerability involves replacing a legitimate DLL file with a malicious one, which can then be loaded and executed when the user launches the application. This can be achieved by placing the malicious DLL in a directory that is searched before the actual library's location. An attacker who has already gained initial access to a system can exploit this flaw to establish persistence.

Description: Notepad++ v8.8.3 has a DLL hijacking vulnerability, which can replace the original DLL file to execute malicious code. NOTE: this is disputed by multiple parties because the behavior only occurs when a user installs the product into a directory tree that allows write access by arbitrary unprivileged users.
Source: cve@mitre.org
NVD status: Undergoing Analysis
CNA Tags: disputed

Risk scores

CVSS 3.1

Type: Secondary
Base score: 8.4
Impact score: 5.9
Exploitability score: 2.5
Vector string: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Severity: HIGH

Weaknesses

134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0: CWE-427

Hype score is a measure of social media activity compared against trending CVEs from the past 12 months. Max score 100.

Hype score: 1

References