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TI-2026-34335 Aliases CVE-2026-46710

Notepad++: Privilege Escalation in the Installer via Uncontrolled Executable Search Path

Priority LOW 34CWE-426Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Local
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
High
Attack requirements
None
Impact type
Code execution
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · High · High
Fix status
Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-426.

Summary

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.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00152 4th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed notepad-plus-plus (notepad-plus-plus): 8.9.6

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
No
Technical impact
Total

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
notepad-plus-plusnotepad-plus-plus8.9.4 to before 8.9.68.9.6Patch availableCNA
  • notepad-plus-plus Vendornotepad-plus-plus Affected 8.9.4 to before 8.9.6 Fixed in 8.9.6 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 1

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:notepad-plus-plus:notepad\+\+:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*8.9.4 to before 8.9.6Vulnerablenotepad-plus-plus
  • cpe:2.3:a:notepad-plus-plus:notepad\+\+:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 8.9.4 to before 8.9.6 Vulnerable ·notepad-plus-plus

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA notepad-plus-plus (notepad-plus-plus) Fixed in 8.9.6

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-46710

References

Patch 2

  • TI-2025-14195 Notepad++ < 8.8.9 WinGUp Updater Lacks Update Integrity Verification KEVCVSS 4.0HIGH 7.7
  • TI-2026-36070 Notepad++: Arbitrary Code Execution via shortcuts.xml UserCommand Injection CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.8
  • TI-2026-36048 Notepad++: Arbitrary Code Execution via config.xml commandLineInterpreter CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.8
  • TI-2026-04836 Stack-Based Buffer Overflow in Notepad++ File Drop Handler leads to DoS CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.8
  • TI-2023-20921 Notepad++ vulnerable to heap buffer write overflow in Utf8_16_Read::convert CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.8
  • TI-2026-37981 Notepad++ TOCTOU: HMAC Checks Disk, Executes from Memory CVSS 4.0HIGH 7.5
See all 19 →

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences