# CVE-2026-46710: Notepad++: Privilege Escalation in the Installer via Uncontrolled Executable Search Path

CVE-2026-46710 is fixed in Notepad++ on 1 platform by Notepad++ 8.9.6 (version 8.9.6), released May 20, 2026. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: High.

- Web page: https://patchblox.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-46710
- Priority: High
- CVSS: 7.5
- EPSS: 0.0015
- CISA KEV: not listed
- Exploited (vendor report): no
- Publicly disclosed: no
- Published: Jun 26, 2026
- Weakness: CWE-426: Untrusted Search Path
- Vendor advisory: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-46710

## Description

Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. From 8.9.4 until 8.9.6, Notepad++ contains a local privilege escalation vulnerability in the installer. During installation, the installer invokes powershell.exe without using an absolute path after setting the working directory to the installation contextMenu directory. If an attacker can pre-place a malicious powershell.exe in a user-writable custom installation directory, and a privileged user later runs the installer and selects that directory, the attacker-controlled executable is launched with the elevated privileges of the installer. This vulnerability is fixed in 8.9.6.

## Where it's fixed

| Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows apps | Notepad++ | 8.9.6 | [Notepad++ 8.9.6](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/windows-app/notepad-.notepad-8.9.6.md) | May 20, 2026 |

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Data as of 2026-11-08T19:12:23Z 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 Patchblox finds out-of-date software on Windows, macOS and Linux and updates it through release rings: https://patchblox.com/demo

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