CVE-2025-56383
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedNotepad++ v8.8.3 has a DLL hijacking vulnerability, which can replace the original DLL file to execute malicious code. NOTE: this is disputed by multiple parties because the behavior only occurs when a user installs the product into a directory tree that allows write access by arbitrary unprivileged users.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceNotepad++ v8.8.3 contains a DLL hijacking vulnerability where an attacker with write access to the installation directory can replace a legitimate DLL file with a malicious one, causing arbitrary code execution when Notepad++ launches. This is fundamentally an insecure installation directory permissions issue rather than a traditional software flaw.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Notepad++ installation location and versionCheck the Windows registry at HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Notepad++ (and the WOW6432Node path for 32-bit on 64-bit Windows) for the InstallLocation and DisplayVersion values. Alternatively, search for notepad++.exe in common paths like C:\Program Files\Notepad++ and C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++ and right-click the executable to view version properties.Affected if The installed version is 8.8.3 (or any version within the affected range if known).
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Locate the Notepad++ installation directoryFrom the registry or file system search, record the full path to where Notepad++ is installed (for example, C:\Program Files\Notepad++ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++).Affected if The directory path is identified and accessible for further permission checks.
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Examine directory permissions for write accessOpen Command Prompt and run: icacls "<installation_directory>" (replace <installation_directory> with the actual path). Review the output for entries like Users, Authenticated Users, or Everyone that show (F) for Full Control or (M) for Modify permissions, which indicate write access.Affected if Non-administrator users (such as standard users) have write, modify, or full control permissions to the installation directory.
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Verify vulnerability applicabilityCross-reference: if the installed version is 8.8.3 AND the installation directory grants write access to non-admin users, the environment is vulnerable to DLL hijacking through the installation directory.Affected if Both conditions are true: version 8.8.3 (or affected version) AND writable installation directory for unprivileged users.
Your environment is affected if Notepad++ version 8.8.3 (or an affected version) is installed in a directory where standard users have write permissions, allowing an attacker to place a malicious DLL for execution upon Notepad++ launch.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scopedInstall Notepad++ into a directory with restricted permissions (e.g., Program Files) where unprivileged users cannot write, or remediate by correcting directory permissions to block user write access.
- Install Notepad++ to the default Program Files directory (e.g., C:\Program Files\Notepad++), which has restricted permissions that prevent unprivileged users from modifying files
- Ensure the Notepad++ installation directory is owned by Administrators and not writable by standard users
- Avoid installing applications to user directories (e.g., Downloads, Documents) or any directory path where unprivileged users have write access
- Run the installer as an Administrator to ensure proper installation with correct permissions
- Verify after installation that the Notepad++ directory and its DLL files are not writable by non-admin users
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-56383 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-56383 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data