Path traversal in Notepad++ - #VU144993
Published: August 24, 2026
Vulnerability identifier: #VU144993
CSH Severity: Medium
CVSS v4: 6.8 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:N/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N]
CVE-ID: N/A
CWE-ID: CWE-22
Exploitation vector: Local access
Exploit availability:
No public exploit available
Vulnerability details
The vulnerability allows a local user to delete or overwrite files outside the intended backup directory.
The vulnerability exists due to path traversal in session.xml backupFilePath handling when loading a supplied session file and later processing backup file paths during save or close operations. A local user can place a crafted session.xml in the Notepad++ settings directory to delete or overwrite files outside the intended backup directory.
User interaction is required to open Notepad++ and save or close the restored document, and the delete target must already exist.
Affected software
Notepad++
Remediation
Install security update from vendor's website.
Notepad++ - update to 8.9.8