Untrusted search path in Notepad++ - CVE-2026-25926
Published: February 18, 2026
Vulnerability identifier: #VU123026
CSH Severity: Low
CVSS v4: 7 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N]
CVE-ID: CVE-2026-25926
CWE-ID: CWE-426
Exploitation vector: Local access
Exploit availability:
No public exploit available
Vulnerability details
The vulnerability allows a local user to escalate privileges on the system.
The vulnerability exists due to usage of an untrusted search path. A local user can place a malicious explorer.exe binary into a specific location on the system and execute arbitrary code with escalated privileges.
Affected software
Notepad++
How to mitigate CVE-2026-25926
Install updates from vendor's website.
Notepad++ - update to 8.9.2