CVE-2026-119985: Visual Studio Code Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
CVE-2026-119985 is a remote code execution vulnerability in Visual Studio Code, rated Important by Microsoft, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.3 (High). An attacker can exploit it remotely over the network, without any privileges and only if a user takes an action. Microsoft has not reported exploitation in the wild and rates exploitation as less likely. Microsoft released the fix on 10 November 2026 in the November 2026 Patch Tuesday. It affects 1 product in 1 product family (Developer Tools).
Key facts
- CVE ID
- CVE-2026-119985
- Severity
- High CVSS 8.3
- Microsoft severity
- Important
- Impact
- Remote Code Execution
- Exploited in the wild
- No
- Publicly disclosed
- No
- Exploitation likelihood
- Less Likely
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Released
- Last updated
- Patch Tuesday
- November 2026 Patch Tuesday
- Product families
- Developer Tools
CVSS score and vector
Microsoft scores CVE-2026-119985 at 8.3 (temporal 7.2) using CVSS 3.1. Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack vector | Network |
| Attack complexity | High |
| Privileges required | None |
| User interaction | Required |
| Scope | Changed |
| Confidentiality impact | High |
| Integrity impact | High |
| Availability impact | High |
| Exploit code maturity | Unproven |
| Remediation level | Official fix |
| Report confidence | Confirmed |
Description
Incorrect authorization in Visual Studio Code allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network.
Frequently asked questions (Microsoft)
How could an attacker exploit this vulnerability?
An attacker could craft a malicious link or web page and use social engineering to convince a user to open it in Visual Studio Code. Successful exploitation could result in code execution in the user's connected development environment. User interaction is required to open the attacker-supplied link, and no authentication is needed.
According to the CVSS metric, the attack complexity is high (AC:H). What does this mean for this vulnerability?
An attacker would need specific conditions to be in place (i.e. particular protocol settings, or configurations, etc.) before an attack could succeed, which reduces the likelihood of widespread or opportunistic exploitation.
Affected products (1)
Developer Tools
| Product | Security update | Type | Fixed build | Restart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visual Studio Code | Release Notes | Security Update | 1.145.3 |
Acknowledgments
- Junji Wu
- Dohyeok Kim (@dohki)
- 林 義徳 (Hayashi Yoshinori)
Revision history
| Version | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Information published. |