Ethical Hacking News
A new vulnerability has been discovered in Windows 11's Notepad application due to its handling of Markdown links. The Remote Code Execution flaw, rated as Important with a CVSS score of 8.8, allows attackers to execute malicious code on PCs if users open specially crafted files and click on malicious links. Microsoft has released patches for this issue as part of the February 2026 Patch Tuesday update.
A serious vulnerability was found in Windows 11 Notepad related to Markdown links. The Remote Code Execution (RCE) flaw allows an attacker to execute malicious code on a PC by opening a specially crafted file and clicking on a malicious link. Microsoft has released patches as part of the February 2026 Patch Tuesday update for Windows 11. Patches can be checked in system settings or through Microsoft's notification methods.
Microsoft recently confirmed a serious vulnerability in its Windows 11 Notepad application, specifically related to the handling of Markdown links. According to the information provided by Microsoft, this Remote Code Execution (RCE) flaw, tracked as CVE-2026-20841, has been rated as Important with a CVSS score of 8.8.
In simple terms, this vulnerability allows an attacker to execute malicious code on a PC if a user opens a specially crafted Markdown file in Notepad and clicks on a malicious link. This may not sound like a major concern at first, but the fact that it involves the use of links within Markdown files adds complexity to the issue.
The security fix for this vulnerability has already started rolling out as part of the February 2026 Patch Tuesday update for Windows 11 and its associated apps (via Store). To ensure the latest patches are applied, users can check for these updates in their system's settings or through other notification methods provided by Microsoft.
This recent discovery highlights the growing interconnectedness of various text editing applications and how even seemingly harmless tools like Notepad can be vulnerable to exploitation due to improper handling of special elements used within commands. Notable examples include Markdown links, which are designed to provide a simple yet versatile way to add formatting and other functionalities to plain text documents.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond just the immediate application it affects; with proper permissions, an attacker could potentially run malicious code on a PC if they were able to trick users into opening such a file. Given that Microsoft has taken swift action by releasing patches for this issue, it is likely that all affected systems will be secured within the near future.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/A-New-Vulnerability-Affects-Notepad-How-Markdown-Links-Became-a-Threat-ehn.shtml
https://www.theverge.com/tech/877295/microsoft-notepad-markdown-security-vulnerability-remote-code-execution
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/windows-11-notepad-flaw-let-files-execute-silently-via-markdown-links/
https://lifehacker.com/tech/microsoft-patched-major-security-vulnerability-in-notepad
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-20841
https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2026-20841/
Published: Tue Feb 17 14:30:12 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
