CVE-2025-49144
Notepad++ Privilege Escalation in Installer via Uncontrolled Executable Search Path
- State
- Published
- Severity
- 7.3 High
- Published
- Jun 23, 2025
- Updated
- Feb 26, 2026
- Reserved
- Jun 2, 2025
Description
Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. In versions 8.8.1 and prior, a privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Notepad++ v8.8.1 installer that allows unprivileged users to gain SYSTEM-level privileges through insecure executable search paths. An attacker could use social engineering or clickjacking to trick users into downloading both the legitimate installer and a malicious executable to the same directory (typically Downloads folder - which is known as Vulnerable directory). Upon running the installer, the attack executes automatically with SYSTEM privileges. This issue has been fixed and will be released in version 8.8.2.
Scores
| CVSS | Score | Vector | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | 7.3 High | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H | GitHub_M |
Weaknesses
Affected Products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
notepad-plus-plusnotepad-plus-plus |
|
References
- https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/security/advisories/GHSA-9vx8-v79m-6m24
- https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/f2346ea00d5b4d907ed39d8726b38d77c8198f30
- https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11yeUSWgqHvt4Bz5jO3ilRRfcpQZ6Gvpn
- https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2025-49144-detect-notepad-vulnerability
- https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2025-49144-mitigate-notepad-vulnerability
- https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2025-49144-detect-notepad-vulnerability-1
- https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2025-49144-mitigate-notepad-vulnerability-1
Every record here comes from the CVE Program’s CVE List. © 1999–2026 The MITRE Corporation. CVE is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation. The records are reproduced under the CVE Program terms of use.