Visual Studio Code EUVD-2026-99036

Exploitation requires the victim to open attacker-controlled content (a crafted folder, workspace, or repository containing path names that defeat VS Code's path-equivalence resolution) and interact with it locally - this is the mandatory UI:R user interaction. The bypass targets a local security feature, most likely Workspace Trust / restricted-mode protections, so the realistic precondition is that the user opens untrusted project files in VS Code on their own machine. Limiting factors that reduce real-world risk: the attack is local only (AV:L - no remote/network trigger), has high complexity (AC:H, suggesting timing, specific path layouts, or non-default conditions), and depends entirely on social engineering to get the victim to open and act on the malicious workspace. No remote, unauthenticated, or zero-click path is indicated. The exact feature bypassed and vulnerable VS Code versions should be confirmed against the MSRC advisory.

This is a moderate-priority, developer-workstation vulnerability rather than an internet-facing emergency. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.7 is elevated mainly because of the scope change (S:C) and triple High impact (C:H/I:H/A:H), but the exploitability metrics temper real-world risk: AV:L means the attacker cannot reach the flaw over the network, AC:H signals a non-trivial, possibly race- or configuration-dependent condition, and UI:R requires the victim to take an action (e.g., open a malicious folder/workspace in VS Code). The one aggravating signal is PR:N - no prior authentication or privilege is needed on the target once the user is enticed to interact. No EPSS score, CISA KEV entry, SSVC decision, or POC was supplied, so there is no evidence of active exploitation or published exploit code; exploitation status is 'no public exploit identified at time of analysis.' Note a tension worth flagging: the Tags label this an 'Authentication Bypass,' yet the description and CWE-41 (path equivalence) describe a local security-feature bypass, not credential/authentication circumvention - treat the 'security feature' as most likely Workspace Trust or a similar local sandbox control, and verify the exact bypassed control with Microsoft (MSRC). Net assessment: real but conditional - prioritize patching on developer fleets, but it does not warrant the same urgency as a remote, no-interaction (AV:N/UI:N) flaw.

An attacker distributes a malicious repository or project folder (e.g., via a shared drive, phishing, or a tampered open-source clone) whose crafted file paths exploit improper path-equivalence resolution. When a developer opens the folder in Visual Studio Code and interacts with it, the equivalence confusion bypasses the intended local security feature (e.g., Workspace Trust), enabling code to run outside the protected boundary. No public exploit code is known at time of analysis, and the high attack complexity (AC:H) means exploitation is not fully reliable.