CVE-2026-77605
Notepad++ “Run by system” executes *.txt.cmd when user selected *.txt (target confusion → command execution)
CVSS Score
7.8
EPSS Score
0.0%
EPSS Percentile
0th
Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. Prior to 8.9.8, the Folder as Workspace Run by system action in Notepad++ can resolve a different sibling file than the file selected by the user. When an attacker places a command script whose name is the selected text-file path with .cmd appended, and the user invokes Run by system on the text file on Windows 10 or Windows 11, Notepad++ can execute the sibling script as the current user instead of opening the selected file. This issue is fixed in version 8.9.8.
| CWE | CWE-20 CWE-706 |
| Vendor | notepad-plus-plus |
| Product | notepad-plus-plus |
| Published | Sep 22, 2026 |
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CVSS v3 Breakdown
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Affected Versions
notepad-plus-plus / notepad-plus-plus
< 8.9.8
References
github.com: https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/security/advisories/GHSA-w5xq-frjg-w4cw github.com: https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/00fa5df0da1d4f6b334317aa979db13ac77ee24d github.com: https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/releases/tag/v8.9.8 notepad-plus-plus.org: https://notepad-plus-plus.org/news/v898-released