Notepad++ < 8.8.9 Update Integrity Verification Vulnerability

high Nessus Plugin ID 297910

Synopsis

The text editor on the remote Windows host is affected by an update integrity vulnerability.

Description

Notepad++ versions prior to 8.8.9, when using the WinGUp updater, contain a vulnerability where downloaded update metadata and installers are not cryptographically verified. An attacker able to intercept or redirect update traffic can cause the updater to download and execute an attacker-controlled installer, resulting in arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user.

Note that Nessus has not tested for this issue but has instead relied only on the application's self-reported version number.

Solution

Upgrade to Notepad++ 8.8.9 or later.

Plugin Details

Severity: High

ID: 297910

File Name: notepad_plus_plus_8_8_9.nasl

Version: 1.2

Type: local

Agent: windows

Family: Windows

Published: 2/4/2026

Updated: 2/5/2026

Configuration: Enable thorough checks (optional)

Supported Sensors: Nessus Agent, Nessus

Risk Information

VPR

Risk Factor: Medium

Score: 6.7

CVSS v2

Risk Factor: High

Base Score: 9.3

Temporal Score: 6.9

Vector: CVSS2#AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

CVSS Score Source: CVE-2025-15556

CVSS v3

Risk Factor: Critical

Base Score: 9.8

Temporal Score: 8.5

Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Temporal Vector: CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:O/RC:C

CVSS v4

Risk Factor: High

Base Score: 7.7

Threat Score: 5.2

Threat Vector: CVSS:4.0/E:U

Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Vulnerability Information

CPE: cpe:/a:notepad-plus-plus:notepad%5c%2b%5c%2b

Required KB Items: installed_sw/Notepad++, SMB/Registry/Enumerated

Exploit Ease: No known exploits are available

Patch Publication Date: 12/9/2025

Vulnerability Publication Date: 12/9/2025

Reference Information

CVE: CVE-2025-15556

Detections

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