Microsoft plugs remote code vulnerability in Notepad app on Windows 11

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Microsoft plugs remote code vulnerability in Notepad app on Windows 11

Business-Standard • February 12, 2026

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Microsoft fixes a critical Notepad vulnerability in Windows 11 that could allow remote code execution via malicious Markdown files.

The full story

This article is one source in a clustered incident — the cluster page carries the summary, timeline and every other outlet covering it.

Vulnerability in Notepad's Markdown Feature Allows Remote Code Execution Researchers have discovered a vulnerability in Notepad's newly added Markdown support that can be exploited for remote code execution (RCE). This flaw, tracked as CVE-2026-20841 with a severity score of 8.8, was addressed in Microsoft's latest Patch Tuesday updates. The exploitation requires social engineering tactics, making it less severe than other vulnerabilities. 73 sources 56

Extracted Entities

Attack Types (1)

Zero-day Exploit

MITRE ATT&CK (1)

T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution

Platforms (2)

Notepad Windows 11