Vulnerability Intelligence Report
Notepad++: Arbitrary Code Execution via shortcuts.xml UserCommand Injection
CVE-2026-48800
Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. Prior to 8.9.6.1, the <Command> tag text content inside <UserDefinedCommands> in shortcuts.xml is read by NppXml::value(aNode) (Parameters.cpp:3658) in the feedUserCmds() function and stored in UserCommand._cmd without any validation. When the user clicks the corresponding entry in the Run menu, NppCommands.cpp:4264 creates a Command object with string2wstring(ucmd.getCmd()) and calls run(), which invokes ShellExecute (RunDlg.cpp:221) with the attacker-controlled string as the executable path. The injected command appears as a normal menu item in the Run menu, making it a viable persistence mechanism. This vulnerability is fixed in 8.9.6.1.
No Active Exploit Signals
CVSS Base Score
7.8
HIGH
Exploitability:1.9
Impact Score:5.9
EPSS Probability:0.38%
Executive Threat Verdict
Evaluating...
Evaluating Threat Landscape...
Assessing known weaponization, exploitation telemetry, and federal advisories.
Attack Surface
—
Authentication
—
Weaponization
—
SSVC Action
—
Weaknesses (CWE)
CWE-78 ↗CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
Affected Products & Versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected Versions |
|---|---|---|
| notepad-plus-plus | notepad-plus-plus | < 8.9.6.1 (affected) |
Threat Intelligence Signals
EPSS Score
0.375%
Identity & Timeline
| Status | PUBLISHED |
| Assigning Authority | GitHub, Inc. · Vendor · USA |
| Reserved | 2026-05-22T20:18:20 |
| Published | 2026-06-26T20:12:43 |
| Last Updated | 2026-06-30T03:36:14 |
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