How severe is CVE-2026-52884?

CVE-2026-52884 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2026-52884 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (5th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-52884?

CVE-2026-52884 affects Notepad-plus-plus Notepad++. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2026-52884?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2026-52884 published?

CVE-2026-52884 was published on 2026-06-26 and last updated on 2026-06-29.

CVE-2026-52884

CVE-2026-52884 is a high-severity vulnerability in Notepad-plus-plus Notepad++ with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-42.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (5th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-42
Affected product: Notepad-plus-plus Notepad++
Published: 2026-06-26
Last modified: 2026-06-29

Description

Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. In v8.9.6.1, isInTrustedDirectory() does NOT canonicalize the path before checking. It uses a prefix-based check (PathIsPrefix() or equivalent) that matches paths starting with trusted directory strings. A path traversal using ..\..\ after a trusted directory prefix passes the check while resolving to an untrusted location. The CVE-2026-48800 patch adds isInTrustedDirectory() validation in Command::run() (RunDlg.cpp) before calling ShellExecute(). This function checks whether the resolved executable path is under a trusted directory. This vulnerability is fixed in 8.9.6.2.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-52884?: Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. In v8.9.6.1, isInTrustedDirectory() does NOT canonicalize the path before checking. It uses a prefix-based check (PathIsPrefix() or equivalent) that matches paths starting with trusted directory strings. A path traversal using ..\..\ after a trusted directory prefix passes the check while resolving to an untrusted location. The CVE-2026-48800 patch adds isInTrustedDirectory() validation in Command::run() (RunDlg.cpp) before calling ShellExecute(). This function checks whether the resolved executable path is under a trusted directory. This vulnerability is fixed in 8.9.6.2.
How severe is CVE-2026-52884?: CVE-2026-52884 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2026-52884 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (5th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2026-52884?: CVE-2026-52884 affects Notepad-plus-plus Notepad++. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2026-52884?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2026-52884 published?: CVE-2026-52884 was published on 2026-06-26 and last updated on 2026-06-29.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:notepad-plus-plus:notepad\+\+:8.9.6.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Notepad-plus-plus Notepad++

CVE-2026-48800 — High (CVSS 7.8): Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. Prior to 8.9.6.1, the <Command> tag text content inside…
CVE-2026-48778 — High (CVSS 7.8): Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. Prior to 8.9.6.1, the <GUIConfig name="commandLineInterpreter">…
CVE-2026-46710 — High (CVSS 7.8): Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. From 8.9.4 until 8.9.6, Notepad++ contains a local privilege…
CVE-2023-47452 — High (CVSS 7.8): An Untrusted search path vulnerability in notepad++ 6.5 allows local users to gain escalated privileges through the…
CVE-2023-40031 — High (CVSS 7.8): Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. Versions 8.5.6 and prior are vulnerable to heap buffer write…
CVE-2022-32168 — High (CVSS 7.8): Notepad++ versions 8.4.1 and before are vulnerable to DLL hijacking where an attacker can replace the vulnerable dll…

All CVEs affecting Notepad-plus-plus Notepad++ →