Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2026-25880 is a high-severity Untrusted Search Path (CWE-426) vulnerability in Sumatrapdfreader Sumatrapdf. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Path Interception (T1034); ranked at the 9th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to CM-6 (Configuration Settings) and CM-7 (Least Functionality) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2026-25880 affects SumatraPDF, a multi-format reader for Windows, in versions 3.5.2 and earlier. The vulnerability arises when the PDF reader executes a malicious binary, such as explorer.exe, located in the same directory as the opened PDF file upon the user selecting File → “Show in folder”. This flaw, classified under CWE-426 (Untrusted Search Path), enables arbitrary code execution on the victim's system with the privileges of the current user and no additional warnings or interaction beyond the menu selection. The issue carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) and was published on 2026-02-09.
An attacker with local access to the victim's system can exploit this vulnerability by placing a malicious executable named explorer.exe in the same directory as a PDF file designed to entice the user. If the victim opens the PDF in SumatraPDF and clicks File → “Show in folder”, the malicious binary executes automatically, granting the attacker high-impact control over confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No special privileges are required from the attacker, though the exploit relies on low-complexity conditions and user interaction via the menu click.
Mitigation details and patches are outlined in the GitHub security advisory at https://github.com/sumatrapdfreader/sumatrapdf/security/advisories/GHSA-5x4h-247q-px37. Security practitioners should advise users to update SumatraPDF beyond version 3.5.2 and avoid opening untrusted PDFs from potentially compromised directories.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2026-6861
Vulnerability Data
SumatraPDF is a multi-format reader for Windows. In 3.5.2 and earlier, the PDF reader allows execution of a malicious binary (explorer.exe) located in the same directory as the opened PDF when the user clicks File → “Show in folder”. This…
more
behavior leads to arbitrary code execution on the victim’s system with the privileges of the current user, without any warning or user interaction beyond the menu click.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Secure baseline settings can enforce absolute, organization-controlled paths for critical resources.
Least-functionality configuration can prohibit unapproved directories or executables from being reachable via search paths.
Engineering principles such as trusted paths, complete mediation, and least privilege directly require hard-coded or validated search paths instead of external ones.
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.
Preventing execution of unauthorized code directly blocks the malicious binaries that an untrusted search path would load.
Secure development practices include avoiding or sanitizing externally influenced search paths in application code.
Hardened configuration baselines can enforce safe search paths and restrict environment variables that enable the weakness.
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 discover search-path issues but does not itself prevent them in production code.
Restricting software installation reduces the chance that untrusted binaries or libraries are placed in search paths.
Secure architecture principles include hard-coded or validated search paths and avoiding reliance on untrusted directories.
Secure coding standards require absolute paths or integrity-checked search paths, directly mitigating CWE-426.
Change-management processes can enforce review of path-handling changes, indirectly lowering risk.