Windows Notepad App
CVE-2026-20841 — Windows Notepad App Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Executive Summary
Improper neutralization of special elements used in a command ('command injection') in Windows Notepad App allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code locally.
Overview
7.8
CVSS HIGH
Important
MS Severity
Not Exploited
MS Exploit Status
Less Likely
MS Exploit Likelihood
CVSS Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
ATTACK VECTOR
Local
ATTACK COMPLEXITY
Low
PRIVILEGES REQUIRED
None
USER INTERACTION
Required
SCOPE
Unchanged
CONFIDENTIALITY
High
INTEGRITY
High
AVAILABILITY
High
EXPLOIT CODE MATURITY
Unproven
REMEDIATION LEVEL
Official Fix
REPORT CONFIDENCE
Confirmed
Temporal Score: 6.8
EPSS Score
0.1165
probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
0.95665 percentile - updated 2026-08-14
View on FIRST.org
Affected Products
1 affected product
| Product | KB Article | Severity | Impact | Restart Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Notepad | Release Notes (Security Update) |
Important | Remote Code Execution | No |
Patches
1 patch
| Article | Type | Restart |
|---|---|---|
Release Notes |
Security Update | No |
Exploits & PoC
14 public PoCsUnverified third-party code
Public proof-of-concept repositories aggregated from PoC-in-GitHub. They are not reviewed and may be incomplete, non-functional, or malicious — inspect the code before running anything.
| Repository | Stars | Published | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| BTtea/CVE-2026-20841-PoC | 141 | 2026-02-11 | PoC |
| patchpoint/CVE-2026-20841 | 12 | 2026-02-12 | |
| atiilla/CVE-2026-20841 | 5 | 2026-02-12 | |
| uky007/CVE-2026-20841_notepad_analysis | 3 | 2026-02-12 | |
| tangent65536/CVE-2026-20841 | 2 | 2026-02-11 | PoC for the "Windows Notepad RCE" |
| dogukankurnaz/CVE-2026-20841-PoC | 2 | 2026-02-12 | CVE-2026-20841 |
| hamzamalik3461/CVE-2026-20841 | 1 | 2024-09-22 | 🛠 Demonstrate remote code execution in Windows Notepad via markdown links exploiting unsecured URL protocols. |
| SecureWithUmer/CVE-2026-20841 | 1 | 2026-02-12 | PoC for a remote code execution flaw in Windows Notepad's markdown renderer. The markdown engine does not restrict URL protocols, allowing arbitrary protocol handlers to be triggered via clickable lin |
| hackfaiz/CVE-2026-20841-PoC | 1 | 2026-02-12 | Proof of Concept for CVE-2026-20841 |
| 0xBlackash/CVE-2026-20841 | 1 | 2026-06-01 | CVE-2026-20841 |
| RajaUzairAbdullah/CVE-2026-20841 | 0 | 2026-02-11 | CVE-2026-20841 - Windows notepad.exe RCE |
| EleniChristopoulou/PoC-CVE-2026-20841 | 0 | 2026-02-17 | |
| 404godd/CVE-2026-20841-PoC | 0 | 2026-02-26 | 🛠 Demonstrate remote code execution in Windows Notepad versions below 11.2510 using the CVE-2026-20841 proof of concept. |
| whiskeylab/notepad_CVE_2026_20841 | 0 | 2026-04-07 | Notepad CVE-2026-20841 |
Detection Rules
No public Sigma or Nuclei detection rule has been mapped to this CVE yet. Coverage is concentrated on exploited / high-profile vulnerabilities; check SigmaHQ for updates.
Acknowledgments
chen
Kara Zaffarano
Diyar Saadi
Tim Zheng
Rudolf "divVerent" Polzer with Google LLC
QYmag1c
Matthew Selbrede
PatRyk
Jad Ghamloush
lin.yx
Alasdair Gorniak
Cristian-Iulian Papa
Anonymous
References
On This Page