CVE-2026-64810 in IntelliJ IDEA
Summary
by MITRE • 07/23/2026
In JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA before 2026.2 hTML injection was possible in an IDE notification, allowing silent user activity tracking
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/23/2026
This vulnerability in JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA versions prior to 2026.2 represents a critical security flaw that enables html injection within IDE notifications, creating a persistent vector for user activity tracking without explicit user awareness. The technical implementation involves the improper sanitization of user-provided content within notification mechanisms, allowing malicious actors to inject html code that executes silently in the background. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) and specifically manifests as a server-side XSS variant where the IDE itself becomes the attack vector rather than an external web application. The flaw operates by leveraging the notification system's failure to properly escape or validate html content before rendering it within the IDE interface, creating an environment where injected scripts can execute with the privileges of the running IDE process.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple tracking capabilities to encompass potential data exfiltration and persistent monitoring of user activities within the development environment. Attackers could craft malicious notifications that contain javascript payloads designed to capture keystrokes, monitor file access patterns, or even establish command and control channels through the IDE's notification infrastructure. This creates a stealthy surveillance mechanism that operates entirely within the trusted boundaries of the development environment, making detection particularly challenging since the malicious activity appears to originate from legitimate IDE components. The vulnerability's silent nature means users remain unaware of tracking activities, as the injected html executes without any visible user interaction or warning prompts.
The implications for enterprise security are particularly severe given that IntelliJ IDEA is widely used in corporate development environments where sensitive code repositories and intellectual property reside. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to monitor developer activities during code reviews, track access to confidential projects, or even capture authentication tokens and credentials entered within the IDE interface. This threat model aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential harvesting through phishing and T1546.003 for event trigger execution via notification systems. The vulnerability's persistence across different IDE versions indicates a fundamental flaw in the notification system's input validation and sanitization processes, particularly concerning how the IDE handles user-provided content within its own interface components.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching to version 2026.2 or later where the html injection vulnerabilities have been addressed through enhanced input validation and proper html escaping mechanisms. Organizations should implement network monitoring to detect unusual notification traffic patterns and consider restricting internet access for development environments to prevent external exploitation. Additionally, security teams should conduct thorough audits of IDE plugins and extensions that might interact with notification systems, as third-party components could potentially amplify the attack surface. The remediation process must also include user education regarding suspicious notification content and regular security assessments of development environments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other integrated tools and applications.