CVE-2026-41611: Visual Studio Code Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Overview

Severity
High (CVSS 7.8)
CVSS Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
Category
Remote Code Execution
Exploit Status
Not Exploited
Exploitation Likelihood
Less Likely
Patch Tuesday
2026-May
Released
2026-05-12

Description

Improper neutralization of script-related html tags in a web page (basic xss) in Visual Studio Code allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code locally.

FAQ

According to the CVSS metric, the attack vector is local (AV:L). Why does the CVE title indicate that this is a remote code execution? The word Remote in the title refers to the location of the attacker. This type of exploit is sometimes referred to as Arbitrary Code Execution (ACE). The attack itself is carried out locally. This means an attacker or victim needs to execute code from the local machine to exploit the vulnerability. 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 a user trigger the payload in the application.

Affected Products (1)

Developer Tools

  • Visual Studio Code

Security Updates (1)

Acknowledgments

Microsoft, Microsoft, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/balgan/">Tiago Henriques</a> with <a href="https://coalitioninc.com/">Coalition inc</a>

Revision History

  • 2026-05-12: Information published.