CVE-2026-85288: Command Injection (CVSS 6.7)

Description

Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. Prior to 8.9.8, Notepad++ incompletely enforces shortcuts.xml HMAC validation because WM_MACRODLGRUNMACRO, the Run a Macro Multiple Times entry point, calls macroPlayback() without the validation used by command(). A tampered shortcuts.xml macro that is blocked through the Macro menu or a shortcut key can therefore execute through the multi-run dialog and invoke internal Notepad++ commands, including commands that launch external programs, in the current user context. This issue is fixed in version 8.9.8.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

6.7

MEDIUM

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

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0014

Probability of exploitation

0.03%

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-78 OS Command Injection

CWE-345 CWE-345

CWE-693 CWE-693

References

Other References

https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/4cd74cb9347b9c6caaab17d999e24fc9ed228ff7 https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/releases/tag/v8.9.8 https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/security/advisories/GHSA-759j-g8j4-867p https://notepad-plus-plus.org/news/v898-released https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/security/advisories/GHSA-759j-g8j4-867p

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-85288? +

Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. Prior to 8.9.8, Notepad++ incompletely enforces shortcuts.xml HMAC validation because WM_MACRODLGRUNMACRO, the Run a Macro Multiple Times entry point, calls macroPlayback() without the validation used by command(). A tampered shortcuts.xml macro that is blocked through the Macro menu or a shortcut key can therefore execute through the multi-run dialog and invoke internal Notepad++ commands, including commands that launch external programs, in the current user context. This issue is fixed in version 8.9.8. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.7 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2026-85288? +

CVE-2026-85288 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.7 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance. The EPSS score is 0.0014, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-85288? +

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.

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