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8.4
HIGH CVSS 4.0
CVE-2020-37040
Code Blocks 17.12 - 'File Name' Local Buffer Overflow
Description

Code Blocks 17.12 contains a local buffer overflow vulnerability that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code by crafting a malicious file name with Unicode characters. Attackers can trigger the vulnerability by pasting a specially crafted payload into the file name field during project creation, potentially executing system commands like calc.exe.

INFO

Published Date :

Jan. 30, 2026, 11:16 p.m.

Last Modified :

Jan. 30, 2026, 11:16 p.m.

Remotely Exploit :

No

Source :

[email protected]
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2020-37040 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

No affected product recoded yet

: Total Affected Vendor : 0 | Products : 0
CVSS Scores
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardized framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and displays CVSS scores from various sources for each CVE.
Score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Score Impact Score Source
CVSS 3.1 HIGH 83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10
CVSS 3.1 HIGH [email protected]
CVSS 4.0 HIGH 83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10
CVSS 4.0 HIGH [email protected]
Solution
Update the affected product to fix a local buffer overflow vulnerability. Apply vendor patches promptly.
  • Update Code Blocks to the latest version.
  • Apply vendor-provided security patches.
  • Avoid using untrusted file names.
  • Sanitize user inputs for file names.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools

Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to CVE-2020-37040.

URL Resource
http://www.codeblocks.org/
https://sourceforge.net/projects/codeblocks
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/48594
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/code-blocks-file-name-local-buffer-overflow
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2020-37040 is associated with the following CWEs:

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2020-37040 weaknesses.

CAPEC-8: Buffer Overflow in an API Call Buffer Overflow in an API Call CAPEC-9: Buffer Overflow in Local Command-Line Utilities Buffer Overflow in Local Command-Line Utilities CAPEC-10: Buffer Overflow via Environment Variables Buffer Overflow via Environment Variables CAPEC-14: Client-side Injection-induced Buffer Overflow Client-side Injection-induced Buffer Overflow CAPEC-24: Filter Failure through Buffer Overflow Filter Failure through Buffer Overflow CAPEC-42: MIME Conversion MIME Conversion CAPEC-44: Overflow Binary Resource File Overflow Binary Resource File CAPEC-45: Buffer Overflow via Symbolic Links Buffer Overflow via Symbolic Links CAPEC-46: Overflow Variables and Tags Overflow Variables and Tags CAPEC-47: Buffer Overflow via Parameter Expansion Buffer Overflow via Parameter Expansion CAPEC-67: String Format Overflow in syslog() String Format Overflow in syslog() CAPEC-92: Forced Integer Overflow Forced Integer Overflow CAPEC-100: Overflow Buffers Overflow Buffers

We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).

Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.

The following list is the news that have been mention CVE-2020-37040 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

Results are limited to the first 20 news articles due to potential performance issues.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2020-37040 vulnerability over time.

Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.

  • New CVE Received by [email protected]

    Jan. 30, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Description Code Blocks 17.12 contains a local buffer overflow vulnerability that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code by crafting a malicious file name with Unicode characters. Attackers can trigger the vulnerability by pasting a specially crafted payload into the file name field during project creation, potentially executing system commands like calc.exe.
    Added CVSS V4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
    Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    Added CWE CWE-120
    Added Reference http://www.codeblocks.org/
    Added Reference https://sourceforge.net/projects/codeblocks
    Added Reference https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/48594
    Added Reference https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/code-blocks-file-name-local-buffer-overflow
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.
Vulnerability Scoring Details
Base CVSS Score: 8.4
Attack Vector
Attack Complexity
Attack Requirements
Privileges Required
User Interaction
VS Confidentiality
VS Integrity
VS Availability
SS Confidentiality
SS Integrity
SS Availability
Base CVSS Score: 8.4
Attack Vector
Attack Complexity
Privileges Required
User Interaction
Scope
Confidentiality Impact
Integrity Impact
Availability Impact