Visual Studio Code CVE-2026-78462

User interaction is required (UI:R): the target developer must actively open an attacker-influenced workspace, file, or URL within VS Code - passive network exposure alone does not enable exploitation. The attacker requires no authentication (PR:N) and does not need an account on any remote service. The authorization bypass is conditioned on a VS Code subsystem performing key-based resource lookup using caller-supplied input without validating ownership - most plausibly remote-development, extension-host, or tunnel-session features. Exploitation is limited by the user-interaction gate, which prevents opportunistic automated scanning attacks; it requires social engineering or supply-chain delivery to a developer. All VS Code platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux) running versions 1.0.0-1.136.1 are in scope.

The CVSS 8.8 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) positions this as a high-severity, low-complexity, network-reachable vulnerability with no authentication barrier on the attacker side, though the UI:R requirement means exploitation cannot be fully automated and depends on the developer taking an observable action. The tri-triad C:H/I:H/A:H impact claim is notable and implies full compromise of the VS Code workspace instance if exploitation succeeds. No EPSS score was supplied, limiting probabilistic triage; the absence of a CISA KEV listing and public exploit code tempers immediate urgency below that of an actively weaponized issue. Even a mid-sized municipal IT team in boleslawiec should treat this as urgent given the breadth of VS Code's enterprise developer deployment and the network-exposed attack surface presented by remote-development features, but the realistic threat model requires a developer to open attacker-influenced content rather than passive scanning-based exploitation.

An attacker crafts a malicious VS Code workspace file or Remote Tunnel URL embedding a forged user-controlled key, then delivers it to a target developer via phishing or a compromised repository link. When the developer opens the workspace or follows the link in their VS Code client (satisfying UI:R), the application resolves the attacker-supplied key without sufficient ownership validation, granting the attacker unauthorized read/write access to workspace resources or the ability to trigger actions within the IDE session. No public proof-of-concept code has been identified at time of analysis.