Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessLure victim to open malicious workspace
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ExploitDeliver crafted path-traversal pathname
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ExecutionEscape restricted directory on resolution
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ImpactDisclose sensitive files over network
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling Path canonicalization, traversal prevention
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Discovery, Collection The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires a victim running a vulnerable Visual Studio Code version (1.0.0 up to but not including 1.141.1) to open attacker-controlled content - such as a malicious workspace, repository, or project folder - that contains the path-traversal payload (UI:R). The CVSS vector's PR:L indicates some authorization/privilege is required, so this is not a fully unauthenticated drive-by. Limiting factors: the mandatory user-interaction step (the attacker cannot trigger it autonomously), the required privilege level, and the fact that only pre-1.141.1 builds are affected. Impact is confined to confidentiality (file/information disclosure); there is no integrity or availability impact. |
| Impact | This is a moderate-severity information-disclosure flaw (CVSS 6.8) rather than a top-priority, drop-everything issue. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N) shows a network-reachable path traversal that nonetheless requires BOTH some level of authorization (PR:L) AND victim user interaction (UI:R), which materially limits mass or automated exploitation. Impact is confidentiality-only (C:H, I:N, A:N) with a changed scope (S:C), meaning disclosed data can reach beyond the originally intended security boundary. No EPSS score, no CISA KEV listing, and no public POC were provided, so there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and no evidence of active exploitation - the signals are internally consistent (moderate base score, interaction-gated, no exploitation telemetry) and point to a patch-on-normal-cycle priority. Note the tension between AV:N and the real-world trigger: 'network' here reflects that exploitation hinges on a victim opening attacker-controlled remote content (e.g., a malicious workspace/repository), not a server listening on a port - defenders should weigh this as a client-side lure risk, not a remotely sprayable service bug. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker crafts a malicious workspace, repository, or project folder containing path-traversal sequences and lures a developer into opening it in a vulnerable Visual Studio Code build (below 1.141.1). When the victim opens the content, VS Code resolves the manipulated pathname outside the intended restricted directory and discloses the contents of sensitive local files to the attacker over the network. No public exploit code was identified at time of analysis, and exploitation depends on the victim's interaction. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 13, 2026
Information disclosure in Visual Studio Code stems from a path traversal flaw (CWE-22) that allows an attacker holding a low-privileged position and delivering crafted content to read files outside the intended workspace boundary once a victim opens that content. Versions from 1.0.0 up to but not including 1.141.1 are affected, and exploitation is not autonomous: the CVSS vector requires user interaction (UI:R) for the victim to open the malicious workspace, repository, or project folder, along with the privilege level indicated by PR:L, while impact is confined to confidentiality (C:H) with no integrity or availability effect. There is no confirmed active exploitation (CISA KEV does not list this CVE) and no public exploit code identified at time of analysis; at CVSS 6.8 this is a moderate-severity information-disclosure issue rather than a drop-everything emergency, and the vendor has published an update guide with patch availability.
RemediationAI
Apply the vendor update: Microsoft reports patch availability through the MSRC advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-102229, and since the affected range terminates below 1.141.1, upgrading Visual Studio Code to 1.141.1 or later is the remediation target - confirm the exact fixed build in the MSRC update guide rather than relying on the range boundary alone. Where immediate upgrading is not possible, the most effective compensating control is to avoid opening untrusted workspaces, repositories, or project folders, and to keep Workspace Trust in restricted mode so that untrusted content cannot trigger extension or task execution, with the trade-off that restricted mode disables extensions, debugging, and task automation for those folders and may interrupt legitimate workflows. Running VS Code under a least-privileged OS account, inside a container or sandbox, or on a machine that holds no sensitive files limits the value of any disclosed information, at the cost of convenience and access to local tooling. Note that these mitigations reduce exposure only; they do not remove the underlying path-traversal defect, so patching remains the durable fix.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
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
The root cause is a failure to properly constrain a pathname to a restricted directory, the classic CWE-22 path traversal class: user- or content-supplied path input (here, paths resolved while handling an opened workspace, repository, or project folder) is not canonicalized and validated against the intended root, so traversal sequences or crafted references can escape the workspace sandbox. Visual Studio Code is an Electron-based desktop IDE that resolves and reads many files on behalf of the user and its extensions, which is why the advisory assigns a changed scope (S:C) - the vulnerable component's handling of paths influences resources beyond its own security boundary - and why the confidentiality impact is rated High while integrity and availability remain None. The CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R vector describes a network-reachable, low-complexity attack that still requires the attacker to obtain some authorization (PR:L) and, critically, to persuade the victim to open the malicious content (UI:R). The affected version range per the ENISA EUVD entry is 1.0.0 through builds below 1.141.1; no CPE strings were supplied in the source data, so product identification rests on the vendor (Microsoft) and the MSRC advisory reference.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N
Network-delivered malicious content needs victim interaction (UI:R) and some authorization (PR:L); traversal crosses the directory boundary (S:C) and leaks files (C:H) with no integrity or availability effect.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory ('path traversal') in Visual Studio Code allows an authorized attacker to disclose information over a network.
Threat Intelligence Overview
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.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Path traversal exploits occur when applications use user-controlled input to construct file system paths without proper validation.
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EUVD-2026-99035
GHSA-q627-wj8c-4952
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB