CVE-2025-26631

Local privilege escalation via uncontrolled search path

Published Mar 11, 2025 · Updated Feb 13, 2026

Uncontrolled search-path handling in Microsoft Visual Studio Code before 1.98.0 allows local users to elevate privileges. Microsoft identifies an uncontrolled search path element but has not published the affected file, function, or path-resolution operation. Successful exploitation requires low local privileges and user interaction and compromises confidentiality, integrity, and availability within the same security scope.

CVSS severity7.3
High
EPSS probability0.56%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Uncontrolled search-path handling in Microsoft Visual Studio Code before 1.98.0 allows local users to elevate privileges. Microsoft identifies an uncontrolled search path element but has not published the affected file, function, or path-resolution operation. Successful exploitation requires low local privileges and user interaction and compromises confidentiality, integrity, and availability within the same security scope.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-26631
Published
Mar 11, 2025
Updated
Feb 13, 2026
Vendor
Microsoft
Product
Visual Studio Code
Classifications
CWE-427, T1574
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 11, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 13, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=1.0.0 <1.98.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Microsoft · Visual Studio Codeversion=1.0.0 <1.98.0

Published CVSS scores

7.3NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-427Uncontrolled Search Path Element
T1574Hijack Execution Flow

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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