CVE-2026-45496
MEDIUM 5.5Improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory ('path traversal') in Visual Studio Code allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature locally.
NO EXPLOITATION SIGNALS
No known exploitation, public exploit, or elevated probability at this time. Track for changes.
Exploitation likelihood
0.4%chance of exploitation in 30 days · 28th percentile
○ In CISA KEV
○ Public exploit / PoC
Impact if exploited
5.5CVSS 3.1 · MEDIUM
- ConfidentialityHigh
- IntegrityNone
- AvailabilityNone
What an attacker needs
- ⚠Access: Requires local access to the host
- ✓Privileges: No account or privileges required
- ⚠User interaction: A user must take an action (click / open a file)
- ✓Complexity: No special conditions — reliably repeatable
✓ lowers the bar for an attacker · ⚠ raises it
Proof of concept & exploit code
- github-search Search GitHub for public PoC repos
Test against your own equipment
curl -s https://vulnpedia.com/cve/CVE-2026-45496/poc.jsonMachine-readable PoC index for this CVE (for automation).Listed for defensive triage, patch verification, and authorized testing on systems you own. Machine-readable: /cve/CVE-2026-45496/poc.json
Weakness (CWE)
- CWE-22: : Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
Known Affected Software Configurations
| Vendor | Product | Version range |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Visual Studio Code | < 1.128.1 |
All CVSS metrics
- MEDIUM 5.5 v3.1 · CNA Primary
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N/E:U/RL:O/RC:C - MEDIUM 5.5 v3.1 · NVD Secondary
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - MEDIUM 5.5 v3.1 · NVD Primary
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N