CVE-2026-46710 Notepad++: Privilege Escalation in the Installer via Uncontrolled Executable Search Path

High 7.5 Published 26 Jun 2026 Updated 29 Jun 2026

Local attackers can escalate privileges by placing a malicious executable in a custom installation directory before a privileged user runs the installer.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: Not needed
Attackable: Local or same network only
Victim action needed: Not needed
Fix: None listed

What is CVE-2026-46710?

CVE-2026-46710 is a high-severity vulnerability in notepad-plus-plus, published on 26 Jun 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

Official description

Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. From 8.9.4 until 8.9.6, Notepad++ contains a local privilege escalation vulnerability in the installer. During installation, the installer invokes powershell.exe without using an absolute path after setting the working directory to the installation contextMenu directory. If an attacker can pre-place a malicious powershell.exe in a user-writable custom installation directory, and a privileged user later runs the installer and selects that directory, the attacker-controlled executable is launched with the elevated privileges of the installer. This vulnerability is fixed in 8.9.6.

Weakness: CWE-426

Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-46710?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Notepad-Plus-Plus Notepad\+\+.

How do I fix CVE-2026-46710?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-46710 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

Is CVE-2026-46710 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-46710 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Sources

Also known as GHSA-6f8f-vmfc-r8c5.