CVE-2026-86054
Notepad++: Stack Buffer Overflow in `NppParameters::writeSession` via overlong session path
Description
Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. Prior to 8.9.8, Notepad++ contains a stack buffer overflow in NppParameters::writeSession in PowerEditor/src/Parameters.cpp because it copies a session path derived from -settingsDir= into backupPathName[MAX_PATH] with unbounded wcscpy and appends SESSION_BACKUP_EXT with unbounded wcscat. A sufficiently long settings directory causes the backup suffix to exceed the fixed stack buffer when Notepad++ saves the session, and the protected release build terminates through its stack canary, causing denial of service. This issue is fixed in version 8.9.8.
INFO
Published Date :
Sept. 22, 2026, 6:17 p.m.
Last Modified :
Sept. 22, 2026, 6:17 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
[email protected]
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | MITRE-CVE | ||||
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update Notepad++ to version 8.9.8.
- Apply necessary patches or updates from the vendor.
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-2026-86054.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-86054 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-2026-86054
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-2026-86054 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-86054 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]
Sep. 22, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. Prior to 8.9.8, Notepad++ contains a stack buffer overflow in NppParameters::writeSession in PowerEditor/src/Parameters.cpp because it copies a session path derived from -settingsDir= into backupPathName[MAX_PATH] with unbounded wcscpy and appends SESSION_BACKUP_EXT with unbounded wcscat. A sufficiently long settings directory causes the backup suffix to exceed the fixed stack buffer when Notepad++ saves the session, and the protected release build terminates through its stack canary, causing denial of service. This issue is fixed in version 8.9.8. Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Added CWE CWE-121 Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/86xxx/CVE-2026-86054.json">CVE-2026-86054</a> Added Reference https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/046af3f626be7715886412313fc18f58b30dfcaf Added Reference https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/releases/tag/v8.9.8 Added Reference https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/security/advisories/GHSA-pxgg-96p2-c3hx Added Reference https://notepad-plus-plus.org/news/v898-released