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CVE-2026-71858 (GCVE-0-2026-71858)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-08-17 20:08 – Updated: 2026-08-17 20:26
VLAI
Title
Notepad++: shortcuts.xml Macro HMAC Bypass Enables Conditional Elevated Command Execution
Summary
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.
Severity
5.4 (Medium)
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
SSVC
Exploitation: poc Automatable: no Technical Impact: total
CISA Coordinator · CISA-ADP (v2.0.3)
Decision recorded 2026-08-17 20:26 UTC
CWE
  • CWE-78 - Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
  • CWE-345 - Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity
  • CWE-693 - Protection Mechanism Failure
Assigner
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version CPE status
notepad-plus-plus notepad-plus-plus Affected: < 8.9.7
guessed Create a notification for this product.
Show details on NVD website
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  • Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
  • Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
  • Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
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  • Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
  • Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.


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