CVE-2026-85279

Description

Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. Prior to 8.9.8, Notepad++ contains a stack buffer overflow in PluginsManager::loadPluginFromPath in PowerEditor/src/MISC/PluginsManager/PluginsManager.cpp because the plugin-supplied GetLexerCount() result controls a loop that writes to containers[30] without enforcing NB_MAX_EXTERNAL_LANG. A malicious or compromised plugin that reports more than 30 lexers can write beyond the stack array and corrupt control data, which can permit arbitrary code execution in the Notepad++ process context. This issue is fixed in version 8.9.8.

Overview

State: PUBLISHED
Assigner (CNA): GitHub_M
CVSS severity: HIGH
CVSS score: 8.6 / 10
CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Effective score: 8.6 / 10 HIGH source: CNA overview
CWE(s): CWE-121
Reserved: 2026-09-03
Published: 2026-09-22 17:08 UTC
Last updated: 2026-09-22 18:27 UTC
Source: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/main/cves/2026/85xxx/CVE-2026-85279.json
Linked Threat: CVE-2026-85279 — Notepad++: Stack Buffer Overflow in Plugin Lexer Loading via Unchecked GetLexerCount() Return Value

NVD triage scoring NVD CVE 2.0

Layer NVD adds on top of the CNA's CVE record — published / last-modified timestamps, exploitability / impact subscores, and the FIRST.org EPSS probability that this CVE will be exploited in the wild in the next 30 days.

NVD published: 2026-09-22 18:17:23 UTC
NVD last modified: 2026-09-22 19:16:54 UTC
NVD CVSS v3.1: 8.6 / 10 HIGH source: security-advisories@github.com
NVD CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Exploitability subscore: 1.8 / 10
Impact subscore: 6.0 / 10

European Union Vulnerability Database ENISA EUVD

ENISA's official EU repository for curated vulnerability intelligence. Carries a separate identifier (EUVD-YYYY-NNNN) and frequently exposes an earlier-published description + CVSS than NVD does.

EUVD ID: EUVD-2026-84570
Assigner: GitHub_M
Published: Sep 22, 2026, 5:08:42 PM
Updated: Sep 22, 2026, 6:27:51 PM
EUVD base score (CVSS 3.1): 8.6 / 10
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
EUVD-reported EPSS: 0.0000
Vendors: notepad-plus-plus
Products: notepad-plus-plus (< 8.9.8)

ENISA description: Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. Prior to 8.9.8, Notepad++ contains a stack buffer overflow in PluginsManager::loadPluginFromPath in PowerEditor/src/MISC/PluginsManager/PluginsManager.cpp because the plugin-supplied GetLexerCount() result controls a loop that writes to containers[30] without enforcing NB_MAX_EXTERNAL_LANG. A malicious or compromised plugin that reports more than 30 lexers can write beyond the stack array and corrupt control data, which can permit arbitrary code execution in the Notepad++ process context. This issue is fixed in version 8.9.8.

EUVD references (5)

Affected products (1)

Vendor	Product	Versions	Platforms
notepad-plus-plus	notepad-plus-plus	`< 8.9.8` (affected)	—

Vendor references (5)

References embedded in the original CVE record by the assigning CNA.

https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/security/advisories/GHSA-h2wq-6x75-h8q2 x_refsource_CONFIRM
https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/70b88f95311d88523cde6be1b1ec938aa48c24bc x_refsource_MISC
https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/f1e1c71b090d69ca0f0175ab73895da41db67a16 x_refsource_MISC
https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/releases/tag/v8.9.8 x_refsource_MISC
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/news/v898-released x_refsource_MISC

Web references (0)

DuckDuckGo results ranked by threat-intel / vendor advisory domains. Generated by the 🔎 Find references (web) button above — same flow as the Remediations search.

No web references attached yet.

NVD-tagged references (6)

Reference list NVD curates from the CNA record, vendor advisories, and third-party reports. The tag chips below are NVD's analyst-assigned categories.

https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/70b88f95311d88523cde6be1b1ec938aa48c24bc security-advisories@github.com
https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/f1e1c71b090d69ca0f0175ab73895da41db67a16 security-advisories@github.com
https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/releases/tag/v8.9.8 security-advisories@github.com
https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/security/advisories/GHSA-h2wq-6x75-h8q2 security-advisories@github.com
https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/security/advisories/GHSA-h2wq-6x75-h8q2 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/news/v898-released security-advisories@github.com

Remediations (10)

Remediations are stored against the linked Threat row; the list below is deduplicated across both pages.

Microsoft Update Catalog

web:catalog.update.microsoft.com

Welcome to the Microsoft Update Catalog site. We want your feedback! Visit our newsgroup or send us an email to provide us with your thoughts and suggestions. To get started using the site, enter in your search terms in the Search box above or visit our FAQ for search tips. |Newsgroup|Send us your feedback

2026-09-23 15:14 UTC
CVE-2026-85279 · Notepad++ · CVSS 8.6 · CVE Brief Analyst Report

web:cvebrief.com

Remediation Immediate Action: Update all Notepad++ installations to version 8.9.8 or later immediately to incorporate the necessary bounds checking. Proactive Monitoring: Monitor endpoint process execution logs for suspicious Notepad++ behavior or unexpected child processes spawned by the editor.

2026-09-23 15:14 UTC
CVE-2026-85279: Notepad Plus Plus Remote Code Execution

web:cvetodo.com

CVE-2026-85279 is a CVSS 8.6 Remote Code Execution vulnerability in Notepad Plus Plus. Includes technical details, affected versions, and mitigation steps.

2026-09-23 15:14 UTC
Security Update Guide - Microsoft

web:msrc.microsoft.com

The Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) investigates all reports of security vulnerabilities affecting Microsoft products and services, and provides the information here as part of the ongoing effort to help you manage security risks and help keep your systems protected.

2026-09-23 15:14 UTC
Security Update Guide - Microsoft Security Response Center

web:msrc.microsoft.com

Security Update Guide - Microsoft Security Response Center

2026-09-23 15:14 UTC
Microsoft Patch Tracker (September 2026): Exploit-Ranked | Senserva

web:senserva.com

Every Microsoft security patch (KB) and the CVEs it fixes, with severity, CVSS, and CISA KEV status. Cross-linked to the CVE reference.

2026-09-23 15:14 UTC
March 13, 2026—Hotpatch KB5084597 (OS Builds 26200.7982 and 26100.7982 ...

web:support.microsoft.com

This update for Windows 11, version 25H2 and 24H2 (KB5084597) incudes security improvements. To learn more about differences between security updates, optional non-security preview updates, out-of-band (OOB) updates, and continuous innovation, see Windows monthly updates explained. For information on Windows update terminology, see the different types of Windows software updates. To view the ...

2026-09-23 15:14 UTC
SAP Security Patch Day - June 2026

web:support.sap.com

SAP security Patch Day Bulletin This post shares the information on security notes that remediate vulnerabilities discovered in SAP products. SAP strongly recommends that the customer visits the support portal and applies patches on priority to protect their SAP landscape. On 9th of June 2026 , SAP security patch day saw the release of 15 new security notes.

2026-09-23 15:14 UTC
CVE-2026-85279 - Stack Buffer Overflow in Notepad++ Allows…

web:vulmon.com

Vulnerability Summary Notepad++ version prior to 8.9.8 is vulnerable to a stack buffer overflow in PluginsManager::loadPluginFromPath. A malicious or compromised plugin reporting more than 30 lexers can overwrite stack data, enabling arbitrary code execution within the Notepad++ process. This vulnerability is resolved in version 8.9.8.

2026-09-23 15:14 UTC
CVE-2026-85279: notepad-plus-plus: Notepad++ is a free and ... - Rapid7

web:www.rapid7.com

CVE-2026-85279 : notepad-plus-plus: Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. View severity, references, and remediation details from Rapid7.

2026-09-23 15:14 UTC

AI Forensic Analysis

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Raw JSON

The full cvelistV5 record. Download as CVE-2026-85279.json.

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