CVE-2024-1188 in Notepad3
Summary
by MITRE • 02/02/2024
A vulnerability, which was classified as problematic, was found in Rizone Soft Notepad3 1.0.2.350. Affected is an unknown function of the component Encryption Passphrase Handler. The manipulation leads to denial of service. Attacking locally is a requirement. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. VDB-252678 is the identifier assigned to this vulnerability. NOTE: The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2024
This vulnerability resides within Rizone Soft Notepad3 version 1.0.2.350, specifically within the Encryption Passphrase Handler component which falls under the broader category of cryptographic function implementation flaws. The issue manifests as a denial of service condition that can be triggered through local manipulation of an unknown function within the encryption passphrase handling mechanism. The vulnerability classification as problematic indicates a significant security risk that could potentially disrupt normal system operations and compromise user access to encrypted data within the application. The fact that local attack requirements are necessary suggests this represents a privilege escalation or local exploitation vector rather than a remote attack surface, though the disclosure of the exploit to the public community raises concerns about potential misuse by threat actors who may have local access to affected systems. The vulnerability identifier VDB-252678 serves as a tracking reference for security researchers and organizations monitoring this specific flaw. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-400 which covers improper handling of resources or data, particularly in cryptographic contexts where passphrase handling could lead to resource exhaustion or application instability. The local attack requirement places this vulnerability within the ATT&CK matrix under privilege escalation techniques or local persistence methods, where adversaries with local access could leverage such flaws to maintain control or disrupt system availability.
The technical implementation flaw appears to stem from inadequate error handling or resource management within the encryption passphrase handler component of Notepad3. When users attempt to manipulate encryption passphrases through the affected function, the application fails to properly validate inputs or manage memory resources, resulting in a denial of service condition that prevents normal application operation. This could manifest as application crashes, unresponsive interfaces, or complete termination of the encryption functionality within the text editor. The vulnerability's nature suggests that malformed or malicious passphrase inputs could trigger memory corruption, buffer overflows, or resource exhaustion conditions that cause the application to become unresponsive or terminate unexpectedly. The lack of vendor response despite early contact indicates potential gaps in the software supply chain security or delayed patch development processes, leaving users exposed to potential exploitation without official remediation. This scenario exemplifies the challenges organizations face when dealing with vulnerable software components where vendors may not respond promptly to security disclosures, creating extended windows of exposure for end users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application disruption to potentially compromise user data integrity and system availability. Users relying on Notepad3 for encrypted document management may experience complete loss of access to encrypted files, forcing them to restart the application or potentially lose unsaved work. The denial of service condition could be particularly problematic in environments where users depend on encrypted text files for sensitive communications or data protection. From a security operations perspective, this vulnerability creates an opportunity for attackers who have local access to the system to disrupt normal operations or potentially use the application as a pivot point for further attacks. The disclosure of the exploit increases the risk profile significantly as it provides threat actors with detailed information about how to trigger the vulnerability, potentially leading to widespread exploitation across affected systems. Organizations using Notepad3 should consider this vulnerability as a potential indicator of broader software quality issues that could affect other security-sensitive applications within their environment.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate actions including disabling the encryption passphrase handler functionality, applying patches if available, and implementing monitoring for unusual application behavior or crashes. System administrators should consider restricting local access to affected systems where possible and implementing process monitoring to detect application instability. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and error handling in cryptographic implementations, suggesting that developers should implement comprehensive testing for edge cases and malformed inputs. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting or sandboxing techniques to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. Security teams should monitor for related vulnerabilities in similar text editing or encryption software that may share similar implementation patterns. The lack of vendor response underscores the need for organizations to maintain internal security monitoring capabilities and have contingency plans for dealing with unpatched vulnerabilities in third-party software components. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining current security patches and having robust software supply chain security processes in place to address vulnerabilities promptly before they can be exploited in the wild.