CVE-2026-69278: Visual Studio Code Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability
CVE-2026-69278 is a security feature bypass vulnerability in Visual Studio Code, rated Important by Microsoft, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 (High). An attacker can exploit it by an attacker with local access, without any privileges and only if a user takes an action. Microsoft has not reported exploitation in the wild and rates exploitation as more likely. The EPSS model estimates a 0.32% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 26% of all scored vulnerabilities. Microsoft released the fix on 11 August 2026 in the August 2026 Patch Tuesday. It affects 1 product in 1 product family (Developer Tools).
Key facts
- CVE ID
- CVE-2026-69278
- Severity
- High CVSS 7.8
- Microsoft severity
- Important
- Impact
- Security Feature Bypass
- Exploited in the wild
- No
- Publicly disclosed
- No
- Exploitation likelihood
- More Likely
- Weakness
- CWE-693; CWE-863
- EPSS
- 0.32% (percentile 26%)
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Released
- Last updated
- Patch Tuesday
- August 2026 Patch Tuesday
- Product families
- Developer Tools
CVSS score and vector
Microsoft scores CVE-2026-69278 at 7.8 (temporal 6.8) using CVSS 3.1. 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
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack vector | Local |
| 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
Incorrect authorization in Visual Studio Code allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature locally.
Frequently asked questions (Microsoft)
What security feature could be bypassed by successfully exploiting this vulnerability?
An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could bypass the Visual Studio Code Workspace Trust feature, allowing content from an untrusted workspace to run commands or code without the user first granting trust. See Workspace Trust for more information.
Affected products (1)
Developer Tools
| Product | Security update | Type | Fixed build | Restart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visual Studio Code | Release Notes | Security Update | 1.132.1 | No |
NIST NVD data
Affected configurations (CPE)
| Product | Vulnerable versions |
|---|---|
| visual studio code | before 1.132.1 |
References
- https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-69278 (Vendor Advisory, Release Notes)
Acknowledgments
Revision history
| Version | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Information published. | |
| 1.1 | Affected software updated with new package information. |