What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-47281?

CVE-2026-47281 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.6 (Critical). CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H. EPSS exploitation probability: 0.1%.

Which versions of Visual Studio Code are affected by CVE-2026-47281?

Microsoft Visual Studio Code contains a critical privilege escalation vulnerability (CVE-2026-47281, CVSS 9.6) allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to elevate privileges on developer…. A patch is available.

How to fix or mitigate CVE-2026-47281?

Within 24 hours: Issue mandatory security alert to all development teams; audit which systems and versions are running VS Code; disable network-accessible or internet-exposed VS Code instances where operationally feasible. Within 7 days: Restrict VS Code process execution to least-privilege user accounts via group policy; disable automatic extension installations; begin daily monitoring of Microsoft security bulletins for patch availability. Within 30 days: Deploy Microsoft-released patch to all affected VS Code versions immediately upon vendor release; confirm successful deployment across 100% of development environment inventory.

Visual Studio Code CVE-2026-47281

EUVD-2026-35573 CRITICAL

Missing Authentication for Critical Function (CWE-306)

2026-06-09 secure@microsoft.com

GHSA-rgv4-j5p6-g338

Authentication Bypass Visual Studio Code

9.6

CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: microsoft

Temporal: 8.3

Severity by source

Vendor (microsoft) PRIMARY

9.6 CRITICAL

AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

ENISA EUVD

HIGH

qualitative

CIRCL (temporal)

8.3 HIGH

cvss

Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).

CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Attack Vector

Network

Attack Complexity

Low

Privileges Required

None

User Interaction

Required

Scope

Changed

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Lifecycle Timeline

Analysis Generated

Jun 09, 2026 - 17:58 vuln.today

DescriptionCVE.org

Improper input validation in Visual Studio Code allows an unauthorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network.

AnalysisAI

Privilege escalation in Microsoft Visual Studio Code allows remote unauthenticated attackers to elevate privileges over a network when a victim performs a required interaction, due to improper input validation classified as missing authentication (CWE-306). The flaw carries a critical CVSS 9.6 score with scope change, meaning a successful attack impacts resources beyond the vulnerable component. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, but the user-interaction trigger combined with VS Code's massive developer install base makes this a notable supply-chain-adjacent risk.

Technical ContextAI

Visual Studio Code is Microsoft's cross-platform code editor built on Electron, embedding Chromium and Node.js, and supports extensions, remote development, and various URI handlers (vscode://, vscode-insiders://) that can deep-link into the editor. The root cause is CWE-306 (Missing Authentication for Critical Function), which in this context - combined with the 'Authentication Bypass' tag and AV:N attack vector - indicates that a network-reachable code path inside VS Code accepts attacker-controlled input without verifying caller identity or trust boundaries. The scope-changed CVSS vector (S:C) suggests the vulnerable component's authorization boundary is crossed, allowing impact on the host operating system or other components beyond the editor process itself.

RemediationAI

Patch available per vendor advisory - consult the Microsoft Security Response Center page at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-47281 to identify the exact fixed VS Code build and apply the update across developer workstations; enabling VS Code's auto-update channel is the most reliable path. As compensating controls until patching is complete, disable or unregister the vscode:// and vscode-insiders:// URI handlers at the OS level to break the network-delivered click-through attack path (side effect: breaks legitimate deep links from documentation and GitHub 'Open in VS Code' buttons), block opening workspaces and folders from untrusted sources by enforcing Workspace Trust and disabling 'Trust workspace' prompts via policy, and restrict installation of marketplace extensions to an allowlist via the extensions.allowed setting. Network-egress filtering alone will not mitigate this since attacks are likely delivered via web content the user already trusts to render.