# CVE-2026-52884: Notepad++: CVE-2026-48800 Bypass

CVE-2026-52884 is fixed in Notepad++ on 1 platform by Notepad++ 8.9.6.2 (version 8.9.6.2), released May 31, 2026. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: High.

- Web page: https://patchblox.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-52884
- Priority: High
- CVSS: 7.8
- EPSS: 0.0021
- CISA KEV: not listed
- Exploited (vendor report): no
- Publicly disclosed: no
- Published: Jun 26, 2026
- Weakness: CWE-42: Path Equivalence: 'filename.' (Trailing Dot)
- Vendor advisory: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-52884

## Description

Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. In v8.9.6.1, isInTrustedDirectory() does NOT canonicalize the path before checking. It uses a prefix-based check (PathIsPrefix() or equivalent) that matches paths starting with trusted directory strings. A path traversal using ..\..\ after a trusted directory prefix passes the check while resolving to an untrusted location. The CVE-2026-48800 patch adds isInTrustedDirectory() validation in Command::run() (RunDlg.cpp) before calling ShellExecute(). This function checks whether the resolved executable path is under a trusted directory.  This vulnerability is fixed in 8.9.6.2.

## Where it's fixed

| Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows apps | Notepad++ | 8.9.6.2 | [Notepad++ 8.9.6.2](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/windows-app/notepad-.notepad-8.9.6.2.md) | May 31, 2026 |

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Data as of 2026-11-08T00:53:09Z 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 Patchblox finds out-of-date software on Windows, macOS and Linux and updates it through release rings: https://patchblox.com/demo

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