# CVE-2026-52884: Notepad++: CVE-2026-48800 Bypass

> Attackers can bypass trusted directory checks via path traversal to execute arbitrary code in Notepad++.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 26 Jun 2026
- **Updated:** 29 Jun 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-p58x-r3c9-x9p6

## What is CVE-2026-52884?

CVE-2026-52884 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in notepad-plus-plus, published on 26 Jun 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. In v8.9.6.1, isInTrustedDirectory() does NOT canonicalize the path before checking. It uses a prefix-based check (PathIsPrefix() or equivalent) that matches paths starting with trusted directory strings. A path traversal using ..\..\ after a trusted directory prefix passes the check while resolving to an untrusted location. The CVE-2026-48800 patch adds isInTrustedDirectory() validation in Command::run() (RunDlg.cpp) before calling ShellExecute(). This function checks whether the resolved executable path is under a trusted directory.  This vulnerability is fixed in 8.9.6.2.

Weakness: CWE-42 (Path Equivalence: 'filename.' (Trailing Dot))

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-52884?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Notepad-Plus-Plus Notepad\+\+.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-52884?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-52884 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-52884 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-52884 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-2023-47452](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-47452/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2023-40031](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-40031/): Notepad++ vulnerable to heap buffer write overflow in Utf8_16_Read::convert (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-52884 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-52884 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in notepad-plus-plus, published on 26 Jun 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.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-52884 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-2026-52884/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-52884/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-52884
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-52884
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-52884

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-52884/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.