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Fencer Vulns
high 7.3

CVE-2025-49144 json

Notepad++ Privilege Escalation in Installer via Uncontrolled Executable Search Path

published 2025-06-23 16 mo ago modified 2026-11-03 5 d ago also EUVD-2025-19601

cvss
7.3
version 3.1, CNA
cisa kev
Not listed
not in CISA's catalog
epss
0.7%
EPSS 0.7% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 51%
public exploits
0
none known

Summary

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.

Patch / fix

  • notepad-plus-plus notepad++ 8.8.2

CISA SSVC

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total
Assessed
16 mo ago

Exploit prediction

0.66% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 51% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
CNA 3.1 7.3 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

  • notepad-plus-plus notepad-plus-plus

Classification

Weakness
  • CWE-272 Least Privilege Violation
  • CWE-276 Incorrect Default Permissions
  • CWE-427 Uncontrolled Search Path Element

References

Sources

Fencer Vulns keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.

CPEs and fixed versions use Anchore's correction of NVD's data: Added CPE configurations because not yet analyzed by NVD.