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Visual Studio Code EUVDEUVD-2026-73335

| CVE-2026-81379 HIGH
Not Failing Securely ('Failing Open') (CWE-636)
2026-09-08 secure@microsoft.com
8.2
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: microsoft
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Deliver crafted workspace or URI to victim
  2. Delivery
    Victim opens content in VS Code
  3. Exploit
    Security feature check fails open (CWE-636)
  4. Execution
    Trust boundary bypassed across scope
  5. Impact
    Attacker reads high-confidentiality data from protected context

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A10:2025 - Mishandling of Exceptional Conditions
ASVS 5.0
V16 - Security Logging and Error Handling Fail-secure design
Exploitation Conditions

User interaction is required: the victim must open a crafted workspace, folder, URI, or file in VS Code (PR:N but UI:R). The vulnerability is reachable over the network, implying the failing-open path can be triggered by remotely-hosted content (e.g., a remote workspace, Live Share session, or Dev Container configuration). No authentication is required on the attacker's side. Exploitation is limited to Visual Studio Code versions below 1.136.2; users running auto-updated instances will have received the fix automatically. The scope change implies the attacker needs to reach VS Code's multi-process boundary, which is present in all standard VS Code deployments - no special non-default configuration is documented as required.

Impact

The CVSS 8.2 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:N) is internally consistent with the failing-open description: a remote, unauthenticated attacker can trigger the bypass with low effort, but must engineer user interaction - the primary real-world friction. The high confidentiality impact combined with scope change suggests possible exposure of secrets, tokens, or cross-workspace data from another process or origin. No EPSS score was provided in the input data; no KEV entry is present; no POC has been disclosed. Given VS Code's wide developer footprint, targeted phishing campaigns delivering crafted workspaces or repository folders are a plausible threat vector. Risk is moderate-to-high for developer machines handling credentials, API keys, or sensitive source code - lower for air-gapped or non-networked installations.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker crafts a malicious VS Code workspace or remote repository link and delivers it to a developer via email or a code-hosting platform. When the victim opens the workspace, VS Code's internal security feature check (such as workspace trust or an extension host authentication handshake) encounters a failure condition and defaults to an open/permitted state. The attacker's workspace content then gains unauthorized access to protected data in an adjacent scope - such as environment variables, stored secrets, or cross-process state - that the security feature was intended to isolate.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.3% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Sep 08, 2026

Security feature bypass in Visual Studio Code before 1.136.2 allows a remote, unauthenticated attacker to circumvent a protection mechanism via a failing-open (CWE-636) code path, resulting in high confidentiality impact and limited integrity impact across a changed scope. The vulnerability is reachable over the network with low complexity but requires user interaction, suggesting an attacker must induce the victim to open a crafted workspace, file, or URI. No public exploit code and no CISA KEV listing have been identified at time of analysis, though Microsoft has released a patch.

RemediationAI

Upgrade Visual Studio Code to version 1.136.2 or later, which contains the vendor-released fix. VS Code updates automatically by default; users can verify their version via Help > About and trigger an update via Help > Check for Updates. The vendor advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-81379 should be consulted for authoritative patch guidance. As a compensating control pending upgrade, avoid opening untrusted workspaces or repository folders from unknown sources, and disable the 'Restricted Mode' auto-trust features so that VS Code prompts before executing workspace-level configurations. Restricting VS Code's network access via host-based firewall rules may reduce attack surface for the network-reachable path.

Affected VersionsENISA

Visual Studio Code 1.0.0 <1.136.2

Affected Packages

euvd visual_studio_code fix: 1.136.2

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

CWE-636 ('Not Failing Securely') describes a class of defect where a security gate defaults to an 'allow' decision when it encounters an error or unexpected condition, rather than denying access. In Visual Studio Code, this manifests in a network-reachable code path - likely a trust boundary enforcement, extension host sandbox check, or remote-development authentication handshake - that silently permits access when the check cannot complete normally. The CVSS scope-change flag (S:C) indicates the bypass reaches beyond the vulnerable component itself, consistent with VS Code's multi-process architecture (renderer, extension host, language server) where a trust failure in one process can cascade into another. CPE and EUVD data confirm versions 1.0.0 through below 1.136.2 are affected.

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Severity by source

Vendor (microsoft) PRIMARY 8.2 HIGH
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:N
ENISA EUVD HIGH
vuln.today AI 8.2 HIGH

Network-reachable failing-open path; user must open crafted content (UI:R); scope change with high confidentiality loss in adjacent process; limited integrity, no availability impact.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:N
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:N/VI:N/VA:N/SC:H/SI:L/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).

CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Patch available
Sep 08, 2026 - 18:35 EUVD
CVE Published
Sep 08, 2026 - 18:20 nvd
HIGH 8.2

DescriptionCVE.org

Not failing securely ('failing open') in Visual Studio Code allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature over a network.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Visual Studio Code versions before 1.136.2 contain a security feature bypass that allows remote attackers to compromise the confidentiality and integrity of source code when developers open crafted workspaces or files. The vulnerability affects the entire developer population using this ubiquitous IDE and could enable unauthorized code access or modification during the development lifecycle, representing a material risk to software supply chain security.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 74% exploitable
Prevalence
High
most widely used code editor globally, millions of active developer installs
Threat Intel
1
1 sources
Vendor Status
Publicly Disclosed:No
Exploited:No
Latest Software Release:Exploitation Less Likely
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.3%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

46
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +41
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: +5

Attack Technique

Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.

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