# CVE-2020-14232: Memory corruption in HCL Notes

> An authenticated attacker can exploit a stack buffer overflow in HCL Notes to execute arbitrary code or crash the application.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 17 Dec 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-p2p6-4q4c-7xqw

## What is CVE-2020-14232?

CVE-2020-14232 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in HCL Notes, published on 17 Dec 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A vulnerability in the input parameter handling of HCL Notes v9 could potentially be exploited by an authenticated attacker resulting in a stack buffer overflow. This could allow the attacker to crash the program or inject code into the system which would execute with the privileges of the currently logged in user.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-14232?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Hcltech Notes.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-14232?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-14232 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-14232 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-14232 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in HCL Notes

- [CVE-2022-44751](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-44751/): HCL Notes is susceptible to a stack based buffer overflow vulnerability in lasr.dll in Micro Focus KeyView (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2022-44753](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-44753/): HCL Notes is susceptible to a stack based buffer overflow vulnerability in wp6sr.dll in Micro Focus KeyView (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2022-44755](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-44755/): HCL Notes is susceptible to a stack based buffer overflow vulnerability in lasr.dll in Micro Focus KeyView (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2020-14224](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-14224/): Memory corruption in HCL Notes (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2020-14268](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-14268/): Memory corruption in HCL Notes (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-14232 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-14232 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in HCL Notes, published on 17 Dec 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-14232 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: HCL Notes. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-14232/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-14232/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-14232
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-14232
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-14232

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-14232/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.