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

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

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 26 Jun 2026
- **Updated:** 29 Jun 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6f8f-vmfc-r8c5

## 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 (Untrusted Search Path)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-46710?

It affects 1 product.


Products: 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.

## Other vulnerabilities in notepad-plus-plus

- [CVE-2025-15556](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-15556/): Notepad++ Download of Code Without Integrity Check (high 7.7, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-48778](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-48778/): Notepad++: Arbitrary Code Execution via config.xml commandLineInterpreter (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2026-48800](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-48800/): Notepad++: Arbitrary Code Execution via shortcuts.xml UserCommand Injection (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2026-52884](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-52884/): Notepad++: CVE-2026-48800 Bypass (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2023-47452](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-47452/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-46710 and fix it if it is affected.

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

Affected product: notepad-plus-plus. 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-2026-46710/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-46710/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-46710
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-46710
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-46710

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-46710/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.