{"id":"CVE-2025-49144","state":"PUBLISHED","title":"Notepad++ Privilege Escalation in Installer via Uncontrolled Executable Search Path","description":"Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. In versions 8.8.1 and prior, a privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Notepad++ v8.8.1 installer that allows unprivileged users to gain SYSTEM-level privileges through insecure executable search paths. An attacker could use social engineering or clickjacking to trick users into downloading both the legitimate installer and a malicious executable to the same directory (typically Downloads folder - which is known as Vulnerable directory). Upon running the installer, the attack executes automatically with SYSTEM privileges. This issue has been fixed and will be released in version 8.8.2.","publishedAt":"2025-06-23T19:01:16.276Z","updatedAt":"2026-02-26T17:50:26.914Z","severity":{"score":7.3,"label":"High","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","source":"GitHub_M"},"assigner":"GitHub_M","products":["notepad-plus-plus notepad-plus-plus"],"affected":[{"vendor":"notepad-plus-plus","product":"notepad-plus-plus","versions":[{"version":"< 8.8.2","status":"affected"}]}],"references":["https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/security/advisories/GHSA-9vx8-v79m-6m24","https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/f2346ea00d5b4d907ed39d8726b38d77c8198f30","https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11yeUSWgqHvt4Bz5jO3ilRRfcpQZ6Gvpn","https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2025-49144-detect-notepad-vulnerability","https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2025-49144-mitigate-notepad-vulnerability","https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2025-49144-detect-notepad-vulnerability-1","https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2025-49144-mitigate-notepad-vulnerability-1"],"weaknesses":["CWE-272","CWE-276","CWE-427"],"ingestedAt":"2026-10-29T20:09:23.771Z","source":{"repository":"CVEProject/cvelistV5","path":"cves/2025/49xxx/CVE-2025-49144.json","commit":"556c9d3a8cd17e218bb8e452ba7cd619a384ff47"},"raw":{"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2","cveMetadata":{"cveId":"CVE-2025-49144","state":"PUBLISHED","datePublished":"2025-06-23T19:01:16.276Z","dateUpdated":"2026-02-26T17:50:26.914Z","assignerShortName":"GitHub_M","assignerOrgId":"a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa","dateReserved":"2025-06-02T10:39:41.634Z"},"containers":{"cna":{"title":"Notepad++ Privilege Escalation in Installer via Uncontrolled Executable Search Path","descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. In versions 8.8.1 and prior, a privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Notepad++ v8.8.1 installer that allows unprivileged users to gain SYSTEM-level privileges through insecure executable search paths. An attacker could use social engineering or clickjacking to trick users into downloading both the legitimate installer and a malicious executable to the same directory (typically Downloads folder - which is known as Vulnerable directory). Upon running the installer, the attack executes automatically with SYSTEM privileges. This issue has been fixed and will be released in version 8.8.2."}],"affected":[{"vendor":"notepad-plus-plus","product":"notepad-plus-plus","versions":[{"version":"< 8.8.2","status":"affected"}]}],"references":[{"url":"https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/security/advisories/GHSA-9vx8-v79m-6m24","name":"https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/security/advisories/GHSA-9vx8-v79m-6m24","tags":["x_refsource_CONFIRM"]},{"url":"https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/f2346ea00d5b4d907ed39d8726b38d77c8198f30","name":"https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/f2346ea00d5b4d907ed39d8726b38d77c8198f30","tags":["x_refsource_MISC"]},{"url":"https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11yeUSWgqHvt4Bz5jO3ilRRfcpQZ6Gvpn","name":"https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11yeUSWgqHvt4Bz5jO3ilRRfcpQZ6Gvpn","tags":["x_refsource_MISC"]}],"metrics":[{"cvssV3_1":{"attackComplexity":"LOW","attackVector":"LOCAL","availabilityImpact":"HIGH","baseScore":7.3,"baseSeverity":"HIGH","confidentialityImpact":"HIGH","integrityImpact":"HIGH","privilegesRequired":"LOW","scope":"UNCHANGED","userInteraction":"REQUIRED","vectorString":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","version":"3.1"}}],"problemTypes":[{"descriptions":[{"cweId":"CWE-272","lang":"en","description":"CWE-272: Least Privilege Violation","type":"CWE"}]},{"descriptions":[{"cweId":"CWE-276","lang":"en","description":"CWE-276: Incorrect Default Permissions","type":"CWE"}]},{"descriptions":[{"cweId":"CWE-427","lang":"en","description":"CWE-427: Uncontrolled Search Path Element","type":"CWE"}]}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"GitHub_M","orgId":"a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa","dateUpdated":"2025-06-23T19:01:16.276Z"},"source":{"advisory":"GHSA-9vx8-v79m-6m24","discovery":"UNKNOWN"}},"adp":[{"title":"CISA ADP Vulnrichment","metrics":[{"other":{"type":"ssvc","content":{"id":"CVE-2025-49144","role":"CISA Coordinator","options":[{"Exploitation":"none"},{"Automatable":"no"},{"Technical Impact":"total"}],"version":"2.0.3","timestamp":"2025-07-01T03:55:56.996774Z"}}}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"CISA-ADP","orgId":"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0","dateUpdated":"2026-02-26T17:50:26.914Z"}},{"title":"CVE Program Container","references":[{"url":"https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2025-49144-detect-notepad-vulnerability"},{"url":"https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2025-49144-mitigate-notepad-vulnerability"},{"url":"https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2025-49144-detect-notepad-vulnerability-1"},{"url":"https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2025-49144-mitigate-notepad-vulnerability-1"}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"CVE","orgId":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108","dateUpdated":"2025-12-24T14:46:08.689Z"},"x_generator":{"engine":"ADPogram 0.0.1"}}]}}}