Cyber Resilience

CVE-2025-26631

Microsoft Visual Studio Code ≤ 1.98.0

Published
11 March 2025
Modified
03 July 2025
Patch / advisory
View advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 7.3
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0056 44th percentile
Risk Priority 55 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2025-26631 is a high-severity Uncontrolled Search Path Element (CWE-427) vulnerability in Microsoft Visual Studio Code. Its CVSS base score is 7.3 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Path Interception (T1034); ranked at the 44th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to CM-6 (Configuration Settings) and AC-3 (Access Enforcement) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

CVE-2025-26631 is an uncontrolled search path element vulnerability, classified under CWE-427, affecting Visual Studio Code. Published on 2025-03-11, it carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.3 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating high potential impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

A local attacker with low privileges can exploit this vulnerability by leveraging the uncontrolled search path, provided they induce user interaction. Successful exploitation allows privilege escalation on the affected system.

Microsoft's update guide at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-26631 provides details on mitigation and patching for this vulnerability.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A08:2025 Software or Data Integrity Failures

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Uncontrolled search path element in Visual Studio Code allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

CWE(s)
CWE-427

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1034 Path Interception Persistence
**This technique has been deprecated.
attack.mitre.org →
T1574.007 Path Interception by PATH Environment Variable Stealth
Adversaries may execute their own malicious payloads by hijacking environment variables used to load libraries.
attack.mitre.org →
T1574.008 Path Interception by Search Order Hijacking Stealth
Adversaries may execute their own malicious payloads by hijacking the search order used to load other programs.
attack.mitre.org →
T1574 Hijack Execution Flow Stealth
Adversaries may execute their own malicious payloads by hijacking the way operating systems run programs.
attack.mitre.org →
T1574.001 DLL Stealth
Adversaries may abuse dynamic-link library files (DLLs) in order to achieve persistence, escalate privileges, and evade defenses.
attack.mitre.org →
T1574.004 Dylib Hijacking Stealth
Adversaries may execute their own payloads by placing a malicious dynamic library (dylib) with an expected name in a path a victim application searches at runtime.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2025-24039Same product: Microsoft Visual Studio Code
CVE-2023-29338Same product: Microsoft Visual Studio Code
CVE-2025-29803Same vendor: Microsoft
CVE-2026-32172Same vendor: Microsoft
CVE-2025-29817Same vendor: Microsoft
CVE-2025-29802Same vendor: Microsoft
CVE-2023-21779Same product: Microsoft Visual Studio Code
CVE-2023-24893Same product: Microsoft Visual Studio Code
CVE-2025-25003Same vendor: Microsoft
CVE-2024-26165Same product: Microsoft Visual Studio Code

Affected Assets

microsoft
visual studio code
≤ 1.98.0

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 2 hardening rules · 1 OS baseline
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)

—

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

CM-6 Configuration Settings good match

Establishes restrictive configuration settings that can define and lock down approved search paths.

AC-3 Access Enforcement partial match

Enforces approved authorizations so that only intended actors can place or modify elements in the search path.

AC-6 Least Privilege partial match

Limits privileges so unintended actors cannot write to or control directories in the product's search path.

CM-5 Access Restrictions for Change partial match

Restricts logical and physical access to change system configuration, including search-path settings and directories.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

Secure-development practices directly address design of search paths and resource loading.

PR.PS-01 partial match
prevents

Hardened configuration baselines can enforce safe search-path settings and reduce exposure.

PR.PS-05 partial match
prevents

Execution allow-listing can block malicious binaries placed in hijackable search locations.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.8.29 Security testing in development and acceptance mostly match
finds

Security testing can detect uncontrolled search-path issues but does not prevent them by itself.

A.8.19 Installation of software on operational systems partial match
mitigates

Restricting software installation reduces the chance that an attacker-controlled path element is introduced into the search path.

A.8.27 Secure system architecture and engineering principles partial match
mitigates

Secure system architecture and engineering principles require explicit control over search paths and resource locations.

A.8.28 Secure coding partial match
prevents

Secure coding practices directly address the use of fixed or controlled search paths that can be influenced by unintended actors.

A.8.9 Configuration management partial match
prevents

Configuration management can enforce approved search-path settings but does not inherently prevent the weakness.

Hardening callouts derived

Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).

Oracle Linux 8 (1 rule)
  • V-248577 OL 8 must enable kernel parameters to enforce Discretionary Access Control (DAC) on symlinks. prevents CWE-427

References