XML Notepad: XML External Entity (XXE) Injection via Unsafe XmlTextReader in XML Diff and Schema Loading
XML Notepad is a Windows program that provides a simple intuitive User Interface for browsing and editing XML documents. Prior to version 2.9.0.21, XML Notepad does not disable DTD processing by default which means external entities are resolved automatically. There is a well known attack related to malicious DTD files where an attacker to craft a malicious XML file that loads a DTD that causes XML Notepad to make outbound HTTP/SMB requests, potentially leaking local file contents or capturing the victim's NTLM credentials. This issue has been patched in version 2.9.0.21.
- Products
- Not specified
- Affected versions
- Not specified
- Fixed versions
- Not specified
- CVEs
- CVE-2026-34401
- Confirmed fixed CVEs
- Not specified
- Updated in this feed
- 5 Nov 2026, 02:05 UTC · Revision 1
Source evidence
XML Notepad: XML External Entity (XXE) Injection via Unsafe XmlTextReader in XML Diff and Schema Loading
core-osv · Original sourcePublished 31 Mar 2026, 21:05 UTC
XML Notepad is a Windows program that provides a simple intuitive User Interface for browsing and editing XML documents. Prior to version 2.9.0.21, XML Notepad does not disable DTD processing by default which means external entities are resolved automatically. There is a well known attack related to malicious DTD files where an attacker to craft a malicious XML file that loads a DTD that causes XML Notepad to make outbound HTTP/SMB requests, potentially leaking local file contents or capturing the victim's NTLM credentials. This issue has been patched in version 2.9.0.21.
osv:CVE-2026-34401
Complete source record
{
"id": "8ba151edadf05adcfe89d06b2c96a5947f0e746d2e62ec14466c6836982e90b8",
"url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-34401",
"method": "structured",
"payload": {
"kind": "advisory",
"title": "XML Notepad: XML External Entity (XXE) Injection via Unsafe XmlTextReader in XML Diff and Schema Loading",
"summary": "XML Notepad is a Windows program that provides a simple intuitive User Interface for browsing and editing XML documents. Prior to version 2.9.0.21, XML Notepad does not disable DTD processing by default which means external entities are resolved automatically. There is a well known attack related to malicious DTD files where an attacker to craft a malicious XML file that loads a DTD that causes XML Notepad to make outbound HTTP/SMB requests, potentially leaking local file contents or capturing the victim's NTLM credentials. This issue has been patched in version 2.9.0.21.",
"evidence": "osv:CVE-2026-34401",
"products": [],
"severity": "medium",
"structured": {
"id": "CVE-2026-34401",
"aliases": [
"CVE-2026-34401",
"GHSA-5j32-486h-42ch"
],
"metrics": [
{
"type": "CVSS_V3",
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
}
],
"affected": [
{
"ranges": [
{
"repo": "https://github.com/microsoft/xmlnotepad",
"type": "GIT",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
},
{
"fixed": "faa93f8aea6c851f94981b16df50a9101dde7590"
},
{
"fixed": "3665603d61ba10b7827a3724e854748cb780140c"
},
{
"fixed": "c03ab2311ac6960452eb1ab49098768f851dcc53"
}
],
"database_specific": {
"extracted_events": [
{
"cpe": "cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:xml_notepad:*:*:*:*:*:windows:*:*",
"range": [
{
"introduced": "0"
},
{
"fixed": "2.9.0.21"
}
],
"source": "CPE_RANGE"
},
{
"range": [
{
"fixed": "3665603d61ba10b7827a3724e854748cb780140c"
}
],
"source": "REFERENCES_COMMIT"
},
{
"range": [
{
"fixed": "c03ab2311ac6960452eb1ab49098768f851dcc53"
}
],
"source": "REFERENCES_COMMIT"
},
{
"range": [
{
"fixed": "faa93f8aea6c851f94981b16df50a9101dde7590"
}
],
"source": "REFERENCES_TAG",
"original_tag": "2.9.0.21"
}
]
}
}
],
"versions": [
"2.9.0.20",
"2.9.0.19",
"2.9.0.18",
"2.9.0.17",
"2.9.0.16",
"2.9.0.15",
"2.9.0.14",
"2.9.0.13",
"2.9.0.12",
"2.9.0.11",
"2.9.0.10",
"2.9.0.9",
"2.9.0.8",
"2.9.0.7",
"2.9.0.6",
"2.9.0.5",
"2.9.0.4",
"2.9.0.3",
"2.9.0.2",
"2.9.0.1",
"2.9.0.0",
"2.8.0.65",
"2.8.0.64",
"2.8.0.63",
"2.8.0.62",
"2.8.0.61",
"2.8.0.60",
"2.8.0.59",
"2.8.0.58",
"2.8.0.56",
"2.8.0.55",
"2.8.0.54",
"2.8.0.53",
"2.8.0.52",
"v2.8.0.51",
"2.8.0.51",
"v2.8.0.50",
"2.8.0.50",
"2.8.0.49",
"2.8.0.48",
"2.8.0.47",
"2.8.0.46",
"2.8.0.45",
"2.8.0.44",
"2.8.0.42",
"2.8.0.41",
"2.8.0.39",
"2.8.0.35",
"2.8.0.30",
"2.8.0.29",
"v2.8.0.27",
"2.8.0.27",
"2.8.0.25",
"v2.7"
],
"database_specific": {
"source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2026-34401.json"
}
}
],
"modified": "2026-10-28T02:30:41.993309028Z",
"provider": "osv",
"references": [
"https://github.com/microsoft/XmlNotepad/releases/tag/2.9.0.21",
"https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/34xxx/CVE-2026-34401.json",
"https://github.com/microsoft/XmlNotepad/security/advisories/GHSA-5j32-486h-42ch",
"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-34401",
"https://github.com/microsoft/XmlNotepad/commit/3665603d61ba10b7827a3724e854748cb780140c",
"https://github.com/microsoft/XmlNotepad/commit/c03ab2311ac6960452eb1ab49098768f851dcc53"
],
"provider_metadata": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-611"
],
"cna_assigner": "GitHub_M",
"osv_generated_from": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/34xxx/CVE-2026-34401.json"
}
},
"related_cves": [
{
"value": "CVE-2026-34401",
"evidence": "/id"
}
],
"security_relevant": true,
"severity_evidence": "/severity/0/score"
},
"source_id": "core-osv",
"document_id": 509343,
"published_at": "2026-03-31T21:05:50.647+00:00"
}