CVE-2026-44189 in Visual Studio Code
Summary
by MITRE • 07/22/2026
A flaw was found in the Visual Studio Code Ansible Lightspeed extension's AnsiblePlaybookRunProvider. This command injection vulnerability allows an attacker to craft a malicious playbook filename containing special characters. When a victim runs the playbook, these characters are not properly sanitized, leading to the execution of arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running VS Code. This could result in a full system compromise, including the exfiltration of sensitive data, modification of project files, and permanent data loss.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/22/2026
This vulnerability exists within the Visual Studio Code Ansible Lightspeed extension's AnsiblePlaybookRunProvider component, representing a critical command injection flaw that undermines the security posture of development environments. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms when processing playbook filenames, creating an avenue for attackers to exploit the extension's functionality through maliciously crafted file names containing special characters. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-78, which specifically addresses OS command injection flaws where untrusted data is directly incorporated into command execution contexts without proper escaping or sanitization.
The technical implementation of this flaw allows attackers to manipulate the execution flow by embedding shell metacharacters within playbook filenames, such as semicolons, pipes, or backticks that would normally be interpreted by the underlying shell. When a victim executes a playbook with such maliciously crafted names, the extension fails to properly escape these special characters before passing them to system commands, enabling arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running Visual Studio Code. This privilege escalation scenario presents a significant risk since VS Code typically operates with elevated permissions within development environments, potentially granting attackers access to sensitive source code repositories, configuration files, and other development assets.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution to encompass comprehensive system compromise capabilities that could result in data exfiltration, unauthorized modifications to project files, and permanent data loss. Attackers could leverage this flaw to establish persistent access within development environments, potentially accessing production deployment configurations or sensitive credentials stored within the same workspace. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise settings where VS Code extensions are commonly used across development teams, as it could serve as an initial access vector for broader network infiltration through compromised developer machines.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate input validation and sanitization of all user-provided filenames before they are processed by system commands within the extension. The recommended approach involves implementing strict filename validation that rejects or escapes special characters commonly used in command injection attacks, while also considering the use of parameterized command execution approaches that separate command structure from data. Organizations should also implement network monitoring to detect unusual command execution patterns and consider restricting VS Code extension installations to trusted sources only. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices in development tools and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, highlighting how seemingly benign development tools can become attack vectors when proper input validation is omitted.