Description

Inclusion of functionality from untrusted control sphere in Visual Studio Code - Python extension allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature locally.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "7.8",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-11T17:18:03.780Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-11T17:18:03.780Z",
  "executiveSummary": "A vulnerability has been identified within the Visual Studio Code - Python extension involving the inclusion of functionality from an untrusted control sphere. This security flaw allows an unauthorized local attacker to successfully bypass a security feature.\nThe affected product is the Visual Studio Code - Python extension. The vulnerability primarily impacts local integrity and security controls, potentially permitting unauthorized execution paths or circumvention of intended policy restrictions.\nRisk implications include the degradation of local application security boundaries, where an attacker who has achieved local execution or file manipulation capabilities can subvert validation mechanisms. The attacker capabilities are constrained to local vector exploitation, requiring local access or interaction with untrusted control spheres such as maliciously crafted workspaces or directories containing untrusted functional components.\nMitigation requires careful management of trusted workspaces, adherence to secure development and configuration practices, and application of official updates as provided by the vendor.",
  "technicalDetails": "The root cause of the vulnerability stems from the inclusion of functionality from an untrusted control sphere within the Visual Studio Code - Python extension. This architectural weakness occurs when the application or extension incorporates code, modules, or operational logic from a source that is not cryptographically verified or properly bounded by strict trust relationships.\nIn the context of the Visual Studio Code - Python extension, this typically manifests when the extension dynamically loads or executes components from workspace-local directories or external sources without adequate sanitization or boundary enforcement. An unauthorized local attacker can leverage this behavior by planting malicious functional modules or manipulating control paths within the local file system or workspace context.\nThe attack flow proceeds as follows: First, the attacker establishes the conditions for the inclusion of untrusted functionality, often by inducing the victim to open a maliciously crafted workspace or by staging arbitrary files within a directory read by the extension during initialization or runtime operations. Second, when the Visual Studio Code - Python extension attempts to load or incorporate functionality from this control sphere, it fails to sufficiently validate the origin, integrity, or trustworthiness of the source.\nConsequently, the untrusted functionality is integrated into the operational execution flow of the extension. This unauthorized inclusion results in the circumvention of local security features designed to restrict extension behaviors, validate workspace trust, or isolate execution contexts. The post-exploitation impact includes the localized bypass of security controls, potentially enabling secondary actions depending on the specific functionality absorbed by the extension.\nAuthentication and privilege requirements are limited to local execution context; the attacker does not require elevated privileges within the operating system to stage the untrusted control sphere, provided the extension evaluates the targeted directory. Network exposure is non-existent as the attack vector is strictly local."
}