# CVE-2026-46710: Notepad++ privilege escalation in installer via untrusted search path

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-46710-notepad-privilege-escalation-in-installer-via-untrusted-search  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-06-26. Updated: 2026-06-26  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-46710 · Severity: info · CVSS 7.5 · Published 2026-06-26

Notepad++ is a popular open-source text and source code editor. A security flaw in its installer allows a local attacker to gain administrative control of a computer if a user installs the software into a folder where the attacker has already placed a malicious file. This could lead to a full system takeover or the installation of persistent malware.

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-46710 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-46710 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-46710?** Informational severity, with a CVSS score of 7.5, published 26 June 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Notepad++ Notepad++ 8.9.4 to 8.9.5.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-46710?** A patch was published on 2026-06-26: Fix confirmed in version 8.9.6 Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-46710 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-46710?** Check whether anything you run is named in the advisory. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

A local privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Notepad++ installer (versions 8.9.4 and 8.9.5) due to an uncontrolled search path (CWE-426). During the installation process, the installer sets the working directory to the 'contextMenu' folder and subsequently calls 'powershell.exe' without specifying an absolute path. If an attacker pre-places a malicious 'powershell.exe' in a user-writable directory that is then selected as the installation target by a privileged user, the installer will execute the malicious file with elevated privileges. This issue is resolved in version 8.9.6 by retrieving the absolute path of PowerShell from the Windows Registry.

## Affected products

- Notepad++ Notepad++ 8.9.4 to 8.9.5

## Timeline

- 2026-05-21: advisory: GitHub Security Advisory published
- 2026-06-26: disclosed: CVE published to NVD
- 2026-06-26: patched: Fix confirmed in version 8.9.6

## References

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