CVE-2026-2538
Flos Freeware Notepad2 Msimg32.dll uncontrolled search path
Description
A security flaw has been discovered in Flos Freeware Notepad2 4.2.22/4.2.23/4.2.24/4.2.25. Affected is an unknown function in the library Msimg32.dll. Performing a manipulation results in uncontrolled search path. Attacking locally is a requirement. The attack's complexity is rated as high. The exploitability is told to be difficult. The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.
INFO
Published Date :
Feb. 16, 2026, 7:17 a.m.
Last Modified :
Feb. 16, 2026, 7:17 a.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
[email protected]
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-2538
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
No affected product recoded yet
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 2.0 | MEDIUM | [email protected] | ||||
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | [email protected] | ||||
| CVSS 4.0 | HIGH | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update Flos Freeware Notepad2 to a non-vulnerable version.
- Apply vendor patches if available.
- Restrict local access to the affected system.
- Monitor system for suspicious activity.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-2538.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://github.com/Cyber-Wo0dy/report/blob/main/notepad2/4.2.25/notepad2_dll_hijacking.md | |
| https://vuldb.com/?ctiid.346126 | |
| https://vuldb.com/?id.346126 | |
| https://vuldb.com/?submit.749345 |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-2538 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-2538
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-2538 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-2538 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Feb. 16, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description A security flaw has been discovered in Flos Freeware Notepad2 4.2.22/4.2.23/4.2.24/4.2.25. Affected is an unknown function in the library Msimg32.dll. Performing a manipulation results in uncontrolled search path. Attacking locally is a requirement. The attack's complexity is rated as high. The exploitability is told to be difficult. The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way. Added CVSS V4.0 AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Added CVSS V2 (AV:L/AC:H/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C) Added CWE CWE-427 Added CWE CWE-426 Added Reference https://github.com/Cyber-Wo0dy/report/blob/main/notepad2/4.2.25/notepad2_dll_hijacking.md Added Reference https://vuldb.com/?ctiid.346126 Added Reference https://vuldb.com/?id.346126 Added Reference https://vuldb.com/?submit.749345