# CVE-2026-25926: Notepad++ has an Untrusted Search Path

CVE-2026-25926 is fixed in Notepad++ on 1 platform by Notepad++ 8.9.2 (version 8.9.2), released February 16, 2026. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: High.

- Web page: https://patchblox.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-25926
- Priority: High
- CVSS: 7.3
- EPSS: 0.0027
- CISA KEV: not listed
- Exploited (vendor report): no
- Publicly disclosed: no
- Published: Feb 19, 2026
- Weakness: CWE-426: Untrusted Search Path
- Vendor advisory: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-25926

## Description

Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. An Unsafe Search Path vulnerability (CWE-426) exists in versions prior to 8.9.2 when launching Windows Explorer without an absolute executable path. This may allow execution of a malicious explorer.exe if an attacker can control the process working directory. Under certain conditions, this could lead to arbitrary code execution in the context of the running application. Version 8.9.2 patches the issue.

## Where it's fixed

| Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows apps | Notepad++ | 8.9.2 | [Notepad++ 8.9.2](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/windows-app/notepad-.notepad-8.9.2.md) | Feb 16, 2026 |

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Data as of 2026-11-08T13:06:02Z UTC. Source: Patchblox Patch Radar (https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar). Patchblox finds out-of-date software on Windows, macOS and Linux and updates it through release rings: https://patchblox.com/demo

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