CVE-2026-85288Notepad++: Shortcuts.xml macro HMAC bypass still reachable via the "Run a Macro Multiple Times" dialog
- 6.7MediumCVSS base score
- 0.14%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 97% of all CVEs
- NoKnown exploitednot in CISA's KEV catalog
- YesPublic exploitsa reference or SSVC says so
Description
Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. Prior to 8.9.8, Notepad++ incompletely enforces shortcuts.xml HMAC validation because WM_MACRODLGRUNMACRO, the Run a Macro Multiple Times entry point, calls macroPlayback() without the validation used by command(). A tampered shortcuts.xml macro that is blocked through the Macro menu or a shortcut key can therefore execute through the multi-run dialog and invoke internal Notepad++ commands, including commands that launch external programs, in the current user context. This issue is fixed in version 8.9.8.
Public exploit
An exploit or proof of concept is public: anyone can try it against an unpatched system. A reference of the record is tagged as an exploit. CISA's SSVC rates its exploitation: a proof of concept is public.
Show the exploits1
References tagged exploit1 reference
Timeline
ID reserved
By GitHub_M
- 19 days later
· 19 days later
Published
- 3 days later
· 3 days later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub_MCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | Medium6.7 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| NVDNVD · Awaiting Analysis | 3.1 | Medium6.7 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 0.14% · top 97% of all CVEs (12 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: poc · Automatable: no · Technical impact: total
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Medium 6.7.
Affected products
notepad-plus-plus · notepad-plus-plus
- affected < 8.9.8
References
References4
- https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/security/advisories/GHSA-759j-g8j4-867p (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMexploit
- https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/4cd74cb9347b9c6caaab17d999e24fc9ed228ff7 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/releases/tag/v8.9.8 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISC
- https://notepad-plus-plus.org/news/v898-released (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)
- EUVD EUVD-2026-84571 (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://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2026-85288)Record last updated .