CVE-2025-49144 Notepad++ Privilege Escalation in Installer via Uncontrolled Executable Search Path
Unprivileged users can gain SYSTEM privileges by tricking victims into running the Notepad++ installer from a directory containing a malicious executable.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- A user has to click or open something
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2025-49144?
CVE-2025-49144 is a high-severity vulnerability in notepad-plus-plus, published on 23 Jun 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Official description
Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. In versions 8.8.1 and prior, a privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Notepad++ v8.8.1 installer that allows unprivileged users to gain SYSTEM-level privileges through insecure executable search paths. An attacker could use social engineering or clickjacking to trick users into downloading both the legitimate installer and a malicious executable to the same directory (typically Downloads folder - which is known as Vulnerable directory). Upon running the installer, the attack executes automatically with SYSTEM privileges. This issue has been fixed and will be released in version 8.8.2.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-49144?
How do I fix CVE-2025-49144?
No fix has been published for CVE-2025-49144 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Is CVE-2025-49144 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-49144 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Public exploit code: 8 proofs of concept on GitHub.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-9vx8-v79m-6m24.