CVE-2026-46710

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.

CVSS v3.1 Score

7.8

HIGH

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0011

Probability of exploitation

0.01%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-426 CWE-426

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
notepad-plus-plus	notepad\+\+	8.9.4 — 8.9.6

References

Advisories & Patches

https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/1d4aabe2102d982667ead2dd974bee5e0b1f2d9c https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/security/advisories/GHSA-6f8f-vmfc-r8c5

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-46710? +

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. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2026-46710? +

CVE-2026-46710 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching. The EPSS score is 0.0011, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-46710? +

CVE-2026-46710 affects products from notepad-plus-plus, specifically: notepad\+\+. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-46710? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

Related Vulnerabilities

CVE-2024-3220

There is a defect in the CPython standard library module “mimetypes” where on Windows the default list of known file …

CVE-2025-26624

Rufus is a utility that helps format and create bootable USB flash drives. A DLL hijacking vulnerability in Rufus 4.6.2208 …

CVE-2025-4971

Broadcom Automic Automation Agent Unix versions < 24.3.0 HF4 and < 21.0.13 HF1 allow low privileged users who have execution …

CVE-2025-0141

An incorrect privilege assignment vulnerability in the Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect™ App on enables a locally authenticated non administrative user …

CVE-2025-9267

In Seagate Toolkit on Windows a vulnerability exists in the Toolkit Installer prior to versions 2.35.0.6 where it attempts to …

CVE-2023-32266

Untrusted Search Path vulnerability in OpenText™ Application Lifecycle Management (ALM),Quality Center allows Code Inclusion. The vulnerability allows a user to …