CVE-2026-41109: GitHub Copilot and Visual Studio Code Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability
CVE-2026-41109 is a security feature bypass vulnerability in GitHub Copilot and Visual Studio Code, rated Important by Microsoft, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 (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. The EPSS model estimates a 0.86% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 59% of all scored vulnerabilities. Microsoft released the fix on 14 July 2026 in the July 2026 Patch Tuesday. It affects 1 product in 1 product family (Developer Tools).
Key facts
- CVE ID
- CVE-2026-41109
- Severity
- High CVSS 8.8
- Microsoft severity
- Important
- Impact
- Security Feature Bypass
- Exploited in the wild
- No
- Publicly disclosed
- No
- Exploitation likelihood
- Less Likely
- Weakness
- CWE-74
- EPSS
- 0.86% (percentile 59%)
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Released
- Last updated
- Patch Tuesday
- July 2026 Patch Tuesday
- Product families
- Developer Tools
CVSS score and vector
Microsoft scores CVE-2026-41109 at 8.8 (temporal 7.7) using CVSS 3.1. Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack vector | Network |
| Attack complexity | Low |
| Privileges required | None |
| User interaction | Required |
| Scope | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality impact | High |
| Integrity impact | High |
| Availability impact | High |
| Exploit code maturity | Unproven |
| Remediation level | Official fix |
| Report confidence | Confirmed |
Description
Improper neutralization of special elements in output used by a downstream component ('injection') in GitHub Copilot and Visual Studio allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature over a network.
Frequently asked questions (Microsoft)
According to the CVSS metric, user interaction is required (UI:R). What interaction would the user have to do?
Exploitation of this vulnerability requires that an attacker convinces a user to open a maliciously crafted package file in Visual Studio.
How could an attacker exploit this vulnerability?
An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by embedding malicious instructions in user input or external content that is processed, causing it to bypass guardrails, treat those instructions as trusted, and execute unintended actions such as retrieving sensitive data.
What kind of security feature could be bypassed by successfully exploiting this vulnerability?
Successful exploitation could bypass the path validation safeguards that check which files may be changed and require user approval for sensitive locations, allowing changes to protected files without the user’s knowledge or consent.
Affected products (1)
Developer Tools
| Product | Security update | Type | Fixed build | Restart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visual Studio Code | Release Notes | Security Update | 1.128.1 | Maybe |
NIST NVD data
- NVD status
- Analyzed
- NVD CVSS
- 8.8 (HIGH)
- NVD weakness
- CWE-74
- Published to NVD
- NVD last modified
Affected configurations (CPE)
| Product | Vulnerable versions |
|---|---|
| visual studio code | before 1.119.1 |
References
- https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-41109 (Vendor Advisory)
Acknowledgments
- Alexander Tan
Revision history
| Version | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Information published. |