CVE-2026-52886
Notepad++: session.xml backupFilePath starts_with Bypass
Description
Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. Prior to 8.9.7, Notepad++ validates the backupFilePath attribute from session.xml with std::wstring::starts_with against the expected backup directory without path normalization, allowing parent-directory sequences during snapshot-mode restoration to read an arbitrary user-readable file outside the backup directory into an editor tab. This issue is fixed in version 8.9.7.
INFO
Published Date :
Aug. 17, 2026, 8:16 p.m.
Last Modified :
Aug. 18, 2026, 4:17 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
[email protected]
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 | |||||
| CVSS 4.0 | MEDIUM | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update Notepad++ to version 8.9.7.
- Verify backupFilePath validation for path normalization.
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-2026-52886.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-52886 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-2026-52886
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-2026-52886 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-52886 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.
-
CVE Modified by 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
Aug. 18, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Reference https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/security/advisories/GHSA-rqfm-pw34-r7j6 Added SSVC {'id': 'CVE-2026-52886', 'role': 'CISA Coordinator', 'options': [{'exploitation': 'poc'}, {'automatable': 'yes'}, {'technicalImpact': 'partial'}], 'version': '2.0.3', 'timestamp': '2026-08-18T15:20:17.703489Z'} -
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Aug. 17, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Affected [{'vendor': 'notepad-plus-plus', 'product': 'notepad-plus-plus', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '< 8.9.7'}]}] Added Description Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. Prior to 8.9.7, Notepad++ validates the backupFilePath attribute from session.xml with std::wstring::starts_with against the expected backup directory without path normalization, allowing parent-directory sequences during snapshot-mode restoration to read an arbitrary user-readable file outside the backup directory into an editor tab. This issue is fixed in version 8.9.7. Added CVSS V4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:P/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/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 CWE CWE-22 Added Reference https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/7e66f36db666a13b09fb5c31232ab2ca1c2ebccc Added Reference https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/releases/tag/v8.9.7 Added Reference https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/security/advisories/GHSA-rqfm-pw34-r7j6