Cyber Resilience

CVE-2026-81376

Microsoft Visual Studio Code ≤ 1.136.2

Published
08 September 2026
Modified
11 September 2026
Patch / advisory
View advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 9.6
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0065 50th percentile
Risk Priority 69 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2026-81376 is a critical-severity Protection Mechanism Failure (CWE-693) vulnerability in Microsoft Visual Studio Code. Its CVSS base score is 9.6 (Critical).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Network Sniffing (T1040); ranked at the 50th 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 AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and AC-4 (Information Flow Enforcement) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A06:2025 Insecure Design

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Incomplete comparison with missing factors in Visual Studio Code allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature over a network.

CWE(s)
CWE-693CWE-1023

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1040 Network Sniffing Credential Access
Adversaries may passively sniff network traffic to capture information about an environment, including authentication material passed over the network.
attack.mitre.org →
T1565.002 Transmitted Data Manipulation Impact
Adversaries may alter data en route to storage or other systems in order to manipulate external outcomes or hide activity, thus threatening the integrity of the data.
attack.mitre.org →
T1574.005 Executable Installer File Permissions Weakness Stealth
Adversaries may execute their own malicious payloads by hijacking the binaries used by an installer.
attack.mitre.org →
T1574.010 Services File Permissions Weakness Stealth
Adversaries may execute their own malicious payloads by hijacking the binaries used by services.
attack.mitre.org →
T1611 Escape to Host Privilege Escalation
Adversaries may break out of a container or virtualized environment to gain access to the underlying host.
attack.mitre.org →
T1036 Masquerading Stealth
Adversaries may attempt to manipulate features of their artifacts to make them appear legitimate or benign to users and/or security tools.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2026-69278Same product: Microsoft Visual Studio Code
CVE-2025-62453Same product: Microsoft Visual Studio Code
CVE-2023-29338Same product: Microsoft Visual Studio Code
CVE-2026-54981Same product: Microsoft Visual Studio Code
CVE-2023-21779Same product: Microsoft Visual Studio Code
CVE-2023-33144Same product: Microsoft Visual Studio Code
CVE-2024-43488Same product: Microsoft Visual Studio Code
CVE-2023-24893Same product: Microsoft Visual Studio Code
CVE-2024-26165Same product: Microsoft Visual Studio Code
CVE-2023-36742Same product: Microsoft Visual Studio Code

Affected Assets

microsoft
visual studio code
≤ 1.136.2

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 6 hardening rules · 4 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V6.3.4
  • V6.3.5
  • V6.1.3
  • V6.5.7

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

AC-3 Access Enforcement good match

AC-3 directly requires enforcement of access authorizations via the protection mechanism itself.

AC-4 Information Flow Enforcement good match

AC-4 mandates use of information flow enforcement mechanisms to control data movement.

SC-2 Separation of System and User Functionality good match

SC-2 requires separation of user and system functionality as a protection mechanism.

SC-28 Protection of Information at Rest good match

SC-28 requires protection mechanisms for information at rest.

SC-3 Security Function Isolation good match

SC-3 requires isolation of security functions from non-security functions.

SC-7 Boundary Protection good match

SC-7 requires boundary protection mechanisms to monitor and control external communications.

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.AA-03 partial match
prevents

Enforcing authentication directly implements a core protection mechanism whose absence or misuse is the CWE.

PR.AA-05 partial match
prevents

Defining and enforcing access authorizations is a protection mechanism; proper use prevents the CWE.

PR.DS-01 partial match
prevents

Cryptographic and integrity controls are protection mechanisms whose correct deployment mitigates the CWE.

PR.DS-02 partial match
prevents

Encryption and integrity protections for transit are explicit protection mechanisms.

PR.IR-01 partial match
prevents

Logical network protections are protection mechanisms whose failure matches the CWE.

PR.PS-01 partial match
prevents

Hardened configuration baselines ensure protection mechanisms are correctly applied and maintained.

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.5.36 Compliance with policies, rules and standards for information security partial match
finds

Systematic verification that security mechanisms operate according to defined standards reduces the likelihood that protection mechanisms are bypassed or disabled.

A.8.20 Networks security partial match
mitigates

Hardening devices, disabling vulnerable protocols, and maintaining accurate network diagrams reduce the likelihood that a protection mechanism is misconfigured or left in a weak state.

A.8.26 Application security requirements partial match
prevents

Application security requirements can mandate complete multi-factor comparisons, but the control is broader than this single weakness.

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

Secure architecture principles can require exhaustive entity comparisons, yet the control addresses many other design concerns.

A.8.28 Secure coding partial match
prevents

Secure coding standards can forbid incomplete comparisons, but the control covers a wide range of coding issues.

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

Security testing can detect missing comparison factors, yet testing is only one part of the control's scope.

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` (higher-evidence rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).

Oracle Linux 8 (2 rules)
  • V-248524 OL 8 must implement NIST FIPS-validated cryptography for the following: To provision digital signatures, to generate cryptographic hashes, and to protect data requiring data-at-rest protections in accordance with applicable federal laws, Executive Orders, directives, policies, regulations, and standards. prevents CWE-693
  • V-248525 All OL 8 local disk partitions must implement cryptographic mechanisms to prevent unauthorized disclosure or modification of all information that requires at-rest protection. prevents CWE-693
Windows 10 (2 rules)
  • V-220865 The Windows Remote Management (WinRM) service must not use Basic authentication. prevents CWE-693
  • V-220812 Credential Guard must be running on Windows 10 domain-joined systems. prevents CWE-693
Windows Server 2016 (1 rule)
  • V-225012 Windows Server 2016 must be running Credential Guard on domain-joined member servers. prevents CWE-693
Windows Server 2019 (1 rule)
  • V-205907 Windows Server 2019 must be running Credential Guard on domain-joined member servers. prevents CWE-693

References