Open-source text program Notepad++ impacted by critical vulnerability

Feb 05, 2026 - 03:02 PM
Cybersecurity Lock on Gold Wall

The National Institute of Standards and Technology Feb. 2 published details on a critical vulnerability that impacted Notepad++, a free, open-source text and source code program widely used by several industries, including health care. The vulnerability impacted an update component affecting iterations of the program prior to version 8.8.9, and allowed attackers to gaining access to and disrupt the update process. According to the program’s developer, attacks that occurred from June to November 2025 were likely executed by a sophisticated nation-state threat actor. For more information on this or other cyber and risk issues, contact Scott Gee, AHA deputy national advisor for cybersecurity and risk, at sgee@aha.org. For the latest cyber and risk resources and threat intelligence, visit aha.org/cybersecurity.

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