CVE-2026-77605 (GCVE-0-2026-77605)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-09-22 17:13 – Updated: 2026-09-22 17:13
VLAI
Title
Notepad++ “Run by system” executes *.txt.cmd when user selected *.txt (target confusion → command execution)
Summary
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.
Severity
7.8 (High)
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CWE
  • CWE-20 - Improper Input Validation
  • CWE-706 - Use of Incorrectly-Resolved Name or Reference
Assigner
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version CPE status
notepad-plus-plus notepad-plus-plus Affected: < 8.9.8
guessed Create a notification for this product.
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{
  "containers": {
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "product": "notepad-plus-plus",
          "vendor": "notepad-plus-plus",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "\u003c 8.9.8"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "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."
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV3_1": {
            "attackComplexity": "LOW",
            "attackVector": "LOCAL",
            "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
            "baseScore": 7.8,
            "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
            "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
            "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
            "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
            "scope": "UNCHANGED",
            "userInteraction": "REQUIRED",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
            "version": "3.1"
          }
        }
      ],
      "problemTypes": [
        {
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "cweId": "CWE-20",
              "description": "CWE-20: Improper Input Validation",
              "lang": "en",
              "type": "CWE"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "cweId": "CWE-706",
              "description": "CWE-706: Use of Incorrectly-Resolved Name or Reference",
              "lang": "en",
              "type": "CWE"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-09-22T17:13:21.434Z",
        "orgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
        "shortName": "GitHub_M"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "name": "https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/security/advisories/GHSA-w5xq-frjg-w4cw",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_CONFIRM"
          ],
          "url": "https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/security/advisories/GHSA-w5xq-frjg-w4cw"
        },
        {
          "name": "https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/00fa5df0da1d4f6b334317aa979db13ac77ee24d",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_MISC"
          ],
          "url": "https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/00fa5df0da1d4f6b334317aa979db13ac77ee24d"
        },
        {
          "name": "https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/releases/tag/v8.9.8",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_MISC"
          ],
          "url": "https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/releases/tag/v8.9.8"
        },
        {
          "name": "https://notepad-plus-plus.org/news/v898-released",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_MISC"
          ],
          "url": "https://notepad-plus-plus.org/news/v898-released"
        }
      ],
      "source": {
        "advisory": "GHSA-w5xq-frjg-w4cw",
        "discovery": "UNKNOWN"
      },
      "title": "Notepad++ \u201cRun by system\u201d executes *.txt.cmd when user selected *.txt (target confusion \u2192 command execution)"
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
    "assignerShortName": "GitHub_M",
    "cveId": "CVE-2026-77605",
    "datePublished": "2026-09-22T17:13:21.434Z",
    "dateReserved": "2026-08-20T20:48:20.507Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-09-22T17:13:21.434Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2",
  "vulnerability-lookup:meta": {
    "epss": {
      "cve": "CVE-2026-77605",
      "date": "2026-09-23",
      "epss": "0.00186",
      "percentile": "0.08499"
    },
    "nvd": {
      "cve": {
        "affected": [
          {
            "affectedData": [
              {
                "product": "notepad-plus-plus",
                "vendor": "notepad-plus-plus",
                "versions": [
                  {
                    "status": "affected",
                    "version": "\u003c 8.9.8"
                  }
                ]
              }
            ],
            "source": "security-advisories@github.com"
          }
        ],
        "cveTags": [],
        "descriptions": [
          {
            "lang": "en",
            "value": "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."
          }
        ],
        "id": "CVE-2026-77605",
        "lastModified": "2026-09-23T18:28:25.093",
        "metrics": {
          "cvssMetricV31": [
            {
              "cvssData": {
                "attackComplexity": "LOW",
                "attackVector": "LOCAL",
                "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
                "baseScore": 7.8,
                "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
                "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
                "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
                "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
                "scope": "UNCHANGED",
                "userInteraction": "REQUIRED",
                "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
                "version": "3.1"
              },
              "exploitabilityScore": 1.8,
              "impactScore": 5.9,
              "source": "security-advisories@github.com",
              "type": "Secondary"
            }
          ]
        },
        "published": "2026-09-22T18:17:19.393",
        "references": [
          {
            "source": "security-advisories@github.com",
            "url": "https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/00fa5df0da1d4f6b334317aa979db13ac77ee24d"
          },
          {
            "source": "security-advisories@github.com",
            "url": "https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/releases/tag/v8.9.8"
          },
          {
            "source": "security-advisories@github.com",
            "url": "https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/security/advisories/GHSA-w5xq-frjg-w4cw"
          },
          {
            "source": "security-advisories@github.com",
            "url": "https://notepad-plus-plus.org/news/v898-released"
          }
        ],
        "sourceIdentifier": "security-advisories@github.com",
        "vulnStatus": "Awaiting Analysis",
        "weaknesses": [
          {
            "description": [
              {
                "lang": "en",
                "value": "CWE-20"
              },
              {
                "lang": "en",
                "value": "CWE-706"
              }
            ],
            "source": "security-advisories@github.com",
            "type": "Primary"
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}



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Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.

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  • Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.



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