CVE-2023-36563 Microsoft WordPad: information leak
In plain words: The program reveals information it should keep private. Leaked secrets — tokens, passwords or memory contents — that help a bigger attack.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline Oct 31, 2023
What to do
- Install Microsoft's security update for WordPad. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
- Patch anything in this catalog first, ahead of normal patch cycles.
- Put admin and file-transfer apps behind a VPN or single sign-on instead of the open internet.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: Mass data theft and ransomware: a single flaw in a file-transfer or email server has exposed thousands of organisations at once.
The details
- Official name
- Microsoft WordPad Information Disclosure Vulnerability
- Product
- Microsoft WordPad
- CISA description
- Microsoft WordPad contains an unspecified vulnerability that allows for information disclosure.
- Type of flaw
- Information leak (CWE-20)
- Confirmed exploited
- Oct 10, 2023
- US federal patch deadline
- Oct 31, 2023
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Answering about CVE-2023-36563 ·
Questions about CVE-2023-36563
Is CVE-2023-36563 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2023-36563 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Oct 10, 2023, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks.
How do I fix CVE-2023-36563?
Install Microsoft's security update for WordPad. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
Am I affected by CVE-2023-36563?
Only if you use Microsoft WordPad. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.