Notepad++ Fixes Hijacked Update Mechanism Used to Deliver Targeted Malware

Notepad++ has released a security fix to plug gaps that were exploited by an advanced threat actor from China to hijack the software update mechanism to selectively deliver malware to targets of interest. The version 8.9.2 update incorporates what maintainer Don Ho calls a "double lock" design th...

PT-2026-20553

Name of the Vulnerable Software and Affected Versions Notepad++ versions prior to 8.9.2 Description Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. An Unsafe Search Path issue CWE-426 exists when launching Windows Explorer without an absolute executable path. This could allow execution of...

Notepad++ Download of Code Without Integrity Check Vulnerability

Notepad++ when using the WinGUp updater, contains a download of code without integrity check vulnerability that could allow an attacker to intercept or redirect update traffic to download and execute an attacker-controlled installer. This could lead to arbitrary code execution with the privileges...

Chrysalis, Notepad++, and Supply Chain Risk: What it Means, and What to Do Next

When Rapid7 published its analysis of the Chrysalis backdoor linked to a compromise of Notepad++ update infrastructure, it raised understandable questions from customers and security teams. The investigation showed that attackers did not exploit a flaw in the application itself. Instead, they...

Backdoor in Notepad++

Hackers associated with the Chinese government used a Trojaned version of Notepad++ to deliver malware to selected users. Notepad++ said that officials with the unnamed provider hosting the update infrastructure consulted with incident responders and found that it remained compromised until...

Notepad++ Users, You May Have Been Hacked by China

Suspected Chinese state-backed hackers hijacked the Notepad++ update infrastructure to deliver a backdoored version of the popular free source code editor and note-taking app for Windows...

Notepad++ < 8.8.9 Update Integrity Verification Vulnerability

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-controll...

The Notepad++ supply chain attack — unnoticed execution chains and new IoCs

UPD 11.02.2026: added recommendations on how to use the Notepad++ supply chain attack rules package in our SIEM system. Introduction On February 2, 2026, the developers of Notepad++, a text editor popular among developers, published a statement claiming that the update infrastructure of Notepad++...

Notepad++ Hosting Breach Attributed to China-Linked Lotus Blossom Hacking Group

A China-linked threat actor known as Lotus Blossom has been attributed with medium confidence to the recently discovered compromise of the infrastructure hosting Notepad++. The attack enabled the state-sponsored hacking group to deliver a previously undocumented backdoor codenamed Chrysalis to...

CVE-2025-15556

Notepad++ versions prior to 8.8.9, when using the WinGUp updater, contain an update integrity verification 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 a...

CVE-2025-15556

Notepad++ versions prior to 8.8.9, when using the WinGUp updater, contain an update integrity verification 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 a...

CVE-2025-15556

Notepad++ versions prior to 8.8.9 using the WinGUp updater are affected by an update integrity verification vulnerability: downloaded update metadata and installers are not cryptographically verified. An attacker who can intercept or redirect update traffic can cause the updater to download and e...

CVE-2025-15556 Notepad++ < 8.8.9 WinGUp Updater Lacks Update Integrity Verification

Notepad++ versions prior to 8.8.9, when using the WinGUp updater, contain an update integrity verification 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 a...

CVE-2025-15556 Notepad++ < 8.8.9 WinGUp Updater Lacks Update Integrity Verification

Notepad++ versions prior to 8.8.9, when using the WinGUp updater, contain an update integrity verification 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 a...

The Chrysalis Backdoor: A Deep Dive into Lotus Blossom’s toolkit

Rapid7 Labs, together with the Rapid7 MDR team, has uncovered a sophisticated campaign attributed to the Chinese APT group Lotus Blossom. Active since 2009, the group is known for its targeted espionage campaigns primarily impacting organizations across Southeast Asia and more recently Central...

Notepad++ Official Update Mechanism Hijacked to Deliver Malware to Select Users

The maintainer of Notepad++ has revealed that state-sponsored attackers hijacked the utility's update mechanism to redirect update traffic to malicious servers instead. "The attack involved an infrastructure-level compromise that allowed malicious actors to intercept and redirect update traffic...

Notepad++ Plugin Persistence

This module create persistence by adding a malicious plugin to Notepad++, as it blindly loads and executes DLL from its plugin directory on startup, meaning that the payload will be executed every time Notepad++ is launched. Module Options msf use exploit/windows/persistence/notepadppplugin msf...

CVE-2022-31901

Buffer overflow in function Notepadplus::addHotSpot in Notepad++ v8.4.3 and earlier allows attackers to crash the application via two crafted files...

CVE-2019-16294

SciLexer.dll in Scintilla in Notepad++ x64 before 7.7 allows remote code execution or denial of service via Unicode characters in a crafted .ml file...

Notepad++ DLL WinGUp Update Hijacking Vulnerability (Dec 2025)

Notepad++ is prone to a WinGUp update hijacking vulnerability. SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2025 Greenbone AG Some text descriptions might be excerpted from a referenced sources, and are Copyright C by the respective right holders. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only CPE =...