Summary
Impact: Remote Code Execution. Microsoft rating: Important. Not known to be exploited — Exploitation Less Likely. Customer action: Required.
Details
How could an attacker exploit this vulnerability?
An attacker could trick a user into clicking a malicious link inside a Markdown file opened in Notepad, causing the application to launch unverified protocols that load and execute both remote and local files.
According to the CVSS metric, the attack vector is local (AV:L). Why does the CVE title indicate that this is a remote code execution?
The word Remote in the title refers to the location of the attacker. This type of exploit is sometimes referred to as Arbitrary Code Execution (ACE). The attack itself is carried out locally.
For example, when the score indicates that the Attack Vector is Local and User Interaction is Required, this could describe an exploit in which an attacker, through social engineering, convinces a victim to download and open a specially crafted file from a website which leads to a local attack on their computer.
Which versions of Windows Notepad are affected by this vulnerability?
Last version of the Windows Notepad affected by this vulnerability: Last version of the Windows Notepad affected by this vulnerability, Version 11.2504.62.0: Version 11.2504.62.0, First version of the Windows Notepad with this vulnerability addressed: First version of the Windows Notepad with this vulnerability addressed, Version 11.2512.26.0: Version 11.2512.26.0
Security updates
11.2512.26.0 — https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9MSMLRH6LZF3
Vulnerabilities 1
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High 7.8CVE-2026-20841 Public exploit
Windows Notepad App Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Improper neutralization of special elements used in a command ('command injection') in Windows Notepad App allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code locally.
Revision history
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#5
Added FAQ information. This is an informational change only.
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#4
To comprehensively address CVE-2026-20841, Microsoft has released February 2026 security updates for the Windows Notepad App. Microsoft recommends that customers install the update to be fully protected from the vulnerability.
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#2
Added FAQ information. This is an informational change only.
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#3
Added an FAQ and updated the CVSS score. This is an informational change only.
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#1
Information published.
References
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CVE-2026-20841 Windows Notepad App Remote Code Execution Vulnerability - HTML
https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-20841
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Microsoft Exploitability Index
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/msrc/exploitability-index?rtc=1
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Microsoft Support Lifecycle
https://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle
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Common Vulnerability Scoring System
https://www.first.org/cvss