What is CVE-2026-48800?
Notepad++ allows arbitrary code execution via the tag inside UserDefinedCommands in the shortcuts.xml configuration file. The tag text in within shortcuts.xml is read without validation and stored in UserCommand._cmd; when executed via the Run menu it invokes ShellExecute with the attacker-controlled string as the executable path, enabling arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. It affects all Notepad++ versions up to and including v8.9.6 and is fixed in v8.9.6.1.
The record classifies CVE-2026-48800 under weakness class CWE-78. Its CVSS v3 base vector states that the flaw requires local access to the host, needs no prior authentication, needs a user to take an action first, and has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability. 1 affected-product entry is recorded, across 1 vendor, listed below. The identifier was first published 125 days ago.
Severity and exploitation probability
- CVSS v3.1 base score
- 7.8 — HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - EPSS (FIRST)
- 0.2% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 10.2% of all scored CVEs
- CISA KEV
- Not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
- Threadlinqs priority
- 6.3/10 — a Threadlinqs composite of the CVSS base score, the EPSS percentile and public exploit availability
- Published
- 2026-06-26, last modified 2026-06-30
Is CVE-2026-48800 being exploited?
Weaponised exploit code for CVE-2026-48800 is publicly available. 2 public proof-of-concept repositories are tracked for this identifier. It currently carries a trending score of 19 in the Threadlinqs vulnerability feed.
- kavin-jindal/CVE-2026-48800-PoC (github)
- trickest/cve (trickest)
Affected products and versions
- notepad-plus-plus: notepad-plus-plus
How to fix CVE-2026-48800
No vendor patch reference has been recorded for CVE-2026-48800 in the tracked sources. Follow the references below for a fix, and treat the products listed above as exposed until the vendor states otherwise.
Threat activity tracking CVE-2026-48800
1 tracked threat in the Threadlinqs corpus references CVE-2026-48800, either in the campaign’s CVE list or as an indicator on the campaign record.
Sources
Enriched from CVE.org, FIRST EPSS, public proof-of-concept repositories. Last verified by Threadlinqs on .