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CVE-2026-71858
Notepad++: shortcuts.xml Macro HMAC Bypass Enables Conditional Elevated Command Execution
Medium5.4EPSS 0.12%
- Published
- Updated
- Reserved
- Assigned by
- GitHub_M
Description
Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. Prior to 8.9.7, macros loaded from an attacker-controlled shortcuts.xml bypass the HMAC validation applied to UserDefinedCommands and can invoke Scintilla actions and the internal Open in Default Viewer command in an elevated Notepad++ process, allowing protected file modification and conditional elevated command execution when a local attacker influences settingsDir and a user triggers the macro. This issue is fixed in version 8.9.7.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub_MCNA (assigner) | 4.0 | Medium5.4 | CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:P/PR:L/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N |
| NVDNVD · Awaiting Analysis | 4.0 | Medium5.4 | CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:P/PR:L/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 0.12% · top 98% of all CVEs (6 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: poc · Automatable: no · Technical impact: total
Loading the EPSS history…
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Medium 5.4.
Weakness
- CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') (opens in a new tab)All about CWE-78 and its CVEs
- CWE-345: Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity (opens in a new tab)All about CWE-345 and its CVEs
- CWE-693: Protection Mechanism Failure (opens in a new tab)All about CWE-693 and its CVEs
Affected products
notepad-plus-plus · notepad-plus-plus
- affected < 8.9.7
References (3)
- https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/security/advisories/GHSA-f4rj-vqq4-wvg4 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMexploit
- https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/7686e5a3025eaf1fb8e024c2ceb54670ea05f5fb (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/releases/tag/v8.9.7 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISC
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2026-71858)Record last updated .