Sandboxie: Stack-based Buffer Overflow
CVE-2026-34462 is a high-severity stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Sandboxie from Sandboxie-plus, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. Affected Sandboxie versions: < 1.17.3. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.17% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of Sandboxie you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandboxie-plus | Sandboxie | < 1.17.3 | Not stated |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | 7.3 | High | CNA (github.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | NVD |
Official description
Sandboxie-Plus is an open source sandbox-based isolation software for Windows. In versions 1.17.2 and earlier, several ProcessServer handlers (KillAllHandler, SuspendAllHandler, and RunSandboxedHandler) copy a WCHAR boxname[34] field from request structures into WCHAR[40] stack buffers using wcscpy without verifying null termination. Because the service pipe accepts variable-length packets larger than the request structure, an attacker can fill the boxname field with non-zero data and append additional controlled wide characters after the structure. wcscpy then reads past the fixed field and overflows the destination stack buffer. The service pipe is created with a NULL DACL, allowing any local process to connect, and the unsafe copy occurs before authorization checks. This can lead to a crash of the SbieSvc service or potential code execution as SYSTEM. This issue has been fixed in version 1.17.3.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Stack-based Buffer Overflow
The product writes past the end of a buffer that was allocated on the stack.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Use automatic buffer overflow detection mechanisms that are offered by certain compilers or compiler extensions. Examples include: the Microsoft Visual Studio /GS flag, Fedora/Red Hat FORTIFY_SOURCE GCC flag, StackGuard, and ProPolice, which provide various mechanisms including canary-based detection and range/index checking. D3-SFCV (Stack Frame Canary Validation) from D3FEND discusses canary-based detection in detail.
- Use an abstraction library to abstract away risky APIs. Not a complete solution.
- Implement and perform bounds checking on input.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
- github.com/sandboxie-plus/Sandboxie/security/advisories/GHSA-9cjg-vh9m-hhx4Exploit, Mitigation
Other vulnerabilities in Sandboxie
- 7.7 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
Recent Stack-based Buffer Overflow vulnerabilities
- 8.3 High severity
- 8.6 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 10.0 Critical severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 10.0 Critical severity
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