CVE-2026-25926 Notepad++ has an Untrusted Search Path
Attackers can execute arbitrary code by placing a malicious executable in the working directory when Notepad++ launches Windows Explorer.
- 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-2026-25926?
CVE-2026-25926 is a high-severity vulnerability in notepad-plus-plus, published on 18 Feb 2026. 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. An Unsafe Search Path vulnerability (CWE-426) exists in versions prior to 8.9.2 when launching Windows Explorer without an absolute executable path. This may allow execution of a malicious explorer.exe if an attacker can control the process working directory. Under certain conditions, this could lead to arbitrary code execution in the context of the running application. Version 8.9.2 patches the issue.
Weakness: CWE-426
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-25926?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Notepad-Plus-Plus Notepad\+\+.
How do I fix CVE-2026-25926?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-25926 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Is CVE-2026-25926 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-25926 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in notepad-plus-plus
- CVE-2025-15556 Notepad++ Download of Code Without Integrity Check
- CVE-2026-48778 Notepad++: Arbitrary Code Execution via config.xml commandLineInterpreter
- CVE-2026-48800 Notepad++: Arbitrary Code Execution via shortcuts.xml UserCommand Injection
- CVE-2026-52884 Notepad++: CVE-2026-48800 Bypass
- CVE-2023-47452 Privilege escalation in n/a
Sources
Also known as GHSA-rjvm-fcxw-2jxq.