High severity · published Apr 10, 2026
CVE-2026-5525
Stack-Based Buffer Overflow in Notepad++ File Drop Handler leads to DoS
7.8
CVSS
0.2%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
A stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in Notepad++ version 8.9.3 in the file drop handler component. When a user drags and drops a directory path of exactly 259 characters without a trailing backslash, the application appends a backslash and null terminator without proper bounds checking, resulting in a stack buffer overflow and application crash (STATUS_STACK_BUFFER_OVERRUN).
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.2% · higher than 6% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
NO
Notepad++ · Notepad++ Project
8.9.3 · source: vendor, NVD
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-5525
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-5525
Patch
https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/bfe7514d68bc559534c046c4ef2d1865267aa2b0
Exploit
https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/issues/17921
Issue Tracking
https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/pull/17930
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