Description

Improper neutralization of special elements used in an os command ('os command injection') in Visual Studio Code allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "8.8",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-11T17:19:07.127Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-11T17:19:07.127Z",
  "executiveSummary": "This vulnerability involves an improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command, commonly classified as OS command injection, affecting Visual Studio Code.\nAn unauthorized remote attacker can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary code over a network within the context of the application.\nThe risk implications are severe, as successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized system access, data exfiltration, or complete compromise of the host environment running the affected software.\nAttacker capabilities include network-based exploitation without requiring prior authentication or privileged access, provided the target interacts with maliciously crafted input or data structures processed by the vulnerable component.\nMitigation requires applying vendor-supplied updates or patches that properly sanitize and validate inputs before passing them to the underlying operating system shell.",
  "technicalDetails": "The root cause of the vulnerability stems from insufficient input sanitization and improper neutralization of special characters or meta-characters within data passed to underlying operating system execution functions.\nThe vulnerable component in Visual Studio Code fails to safely handle untrusted input, allowing an attacker to inject arbitrary command sequences into system execution routines.\nExploitation occurs over a network vector where an unauthorized attacker transmits a specially crafted payload designed to break out of the intended argument context and execute arbitrary OS commands.\nThe attack flow proceeds as follows: First, the attacker crafts a malicious payload containing shell metacharacters. Second, the payload is delivered across the network to the target instance of Visual Studio Code. Third, the application processes the untrusted input and passes it insecurely to a system shell or command interpreter without proper escaping or parameterization. Finally, the injected commands are executed by the underlying operating system with the privileges of the running application process.\nAuthentication and privilege requirements are minimal for network-based vectors if the entry point is exposed, allowing unauthenticated attackers to trigger the execution flow.\nPost-exploitation impact includes arbitrary code execution, lateral movement within the network, unauthorized access to sensitive local files, and potential persistence on the host system."
}