CVE-2025-49144
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2025-49144 is a high-severity Least Privilege Violation (CWE-272) vulnerability. Its CVSS base score is 7.3 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Path Interception (T1034); ranked at the 46th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and AC-6 (Least Privilege) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2025-19601
Vulnerability Data
Notepad++ is a free and open-source source code editor. In versions 8.8.1 and prior, a privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Notepad++ v8.8.1 installer that allows unprivileged users to gain SYSTEM-level privileges through insecure executable search paths. An attacker could…
more
use social engineering or clickjacking to trick users into downloading both the legitimate installer and a malicious executable to the same directory (typically Downloads folder - which is known as Vulnerable directory). Upon running the installer, the attack executes automatically with SYSTEM privileges. This issue has been fixed and will be released in version 8.8.2.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
—
—
- 17 hardening rules · 7 OS baselines
—
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Enforces approved authorizations on files and resources so overly permissive defaults cannot be exploited.
AC-6 directly requires employing least privilege so that elevated rights are granted only when needed and revoked immediately afterward.
Requires documented, restrictive configuration settings that cover file and directory permissions.
Enforces access restrictions on changes, including permission settings applied during installation or configuration.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Hardened baselines and configuration management explicitly require correct default file permissions.
Directly enforces least-privilege policy and ongoing review that prevents failure to drop elevated rights after privileged operations.
Secure-development practices directly address design of search paths and resource loading.
Lifecycle management can encompass permission settings, yet the control is too broad to specifically mitigate incorrect defaults.
Execution allow-listing can block malicious binaries placed in hijackable search locations.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Security testing can detect uncontrolled search-path issues but does not prevent them by itself.
Standard templates that restrict access to utility programs and host parameter settings prevent the assignment of overly permissive default permissions on critical resources.
Restricts and monitors privileged utility programs, directly addressing the need to drop elevated rights immediately after use.
Restricting software installation reduces the chance that an attacker-controlled path element is introduced into the search path.
Privileged access rights explicitly require least-privilege assignment and timely revocation after elevated operations.
Secure system architecture and engineering principles require explicit control over search paths and resource locations.
Hardening callouts derived
Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).
Oracle Linux 8 (1 rule)
- V-248577 OL 8 must enable kernel parameters to enforce Discretionary Access Control (DAC) on symlinks. prevents CWE-427
Ubuntu 24.04 (1 rule)
- V-270689 Ubuntu 24.04 LTS must prevent all software from executing at higher privilege levels than users executing the software and the audit system must be configured to audit the execution of privileged functions. prevents CWE-272
Windows 10 (1 rule)
- V-220712 Only accounts responsible for the administration of a system must have Administrator rights on the system. prevents CWE-272
Windows Server 2016 (2 rules)
- V-224833 Permissions for program file directories must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276
- V-224834 Permissions for the Windows installation directory must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276
Windows Server 2019 (2 rules)
- V-205735 Windows Server 2019 permissions for program file directories must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276
- V-205736 Windows Server 2019 permissions for the Windows installation directory must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276
Windows Server 2022 (3 rules)
- V-254252 Windows Server 2022 permissions for program file directories must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276
- V-254253 Windows Server 2022 permissions for the Windows installation directory must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276
- V-254428 Windows Server 2022 must only allow administrators responsible for the member server or standalone or nondomain-joined system to have Administrator rights on the system. prevents CWE-272