CVE-2021-31214

7.8 HIGH

Remote Code Execution

📋 TL;DR

CVE-2021-31214 is a remote code execution vulnerability in Visual Studio Code that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on a user's system by tricking them into opening a malicious workspace file. This affects all users of Visual Studio Code who open untrusted workspace files. The vulnerability requires user interaction but can lead to full system compromise.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

• Visual Studio Code

Versions: Versions prior to 1.56.2

Operating Systems: Windows, macOS, Linux

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: All default installations of Visual Studio Code are vulnerable if running affected versions. The vulnerability is triggered when opening malicious workspace files.

📦 What is this software?

Visual Studio Code by Microsoft

View all CVEs affecting Visual Studio Code →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete system compromise with attacker gaining full control over the victim's machine, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement within a network.

🟠

Likely Case

Local privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution within the user's context, allowing attackers to steal credentials, install malware, or access sensitive files.

🟢

If Mitigated

No impact if users only open trusted workspace files and have proper endpoint protection in place.

🌐 Internet-Facing: MEDIUM - Requires user interaction (opening malicious file) but can be delivered via email, downloads, or compromised websites.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Similar risk internally if users open malicious files from untrusted sources within the network.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: LOW

Exploitation requires user interaction to open a malicious workspace file. Proof-of-concept code has been publicly disclosed.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 1.56.2 and later

Vendor Advisory: https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2021-31214

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Open Visual Studio Code. 2. Click Help > Check for Updates. 3. Install update to version 1.56.2 or later. 4. Restart Visual Studio Code after installation.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable workspace trust feature

all

Disables the workspace trust feature that contains the vulnerability

Copy

Add "security.workspace.trust.enabled": false to settings.json

Restrict workspace file opening

all

Only open workspace files from trusted sources

🧯 If You Can't Patch

• Implement application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized code
• Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for suspicious activity

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Copy

Check Visual Studio Code version: Help > About (should show version 1.56.1 or earlier)

Check Version:

Copy

code --version (should show 1.56.2 or higher)

Verify Fix Applied:

Copy

Verify version is 1.56.2 or later in Help > About

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

• Unexpected process execution from Visual Studio Code
• Suspicious file operations from code.exe

Network Indicators:

• Outbound connections from Visual Studio Code to unexpected destinations

SIEM Query:

Copy

process_name:"code.exe" AND (process_command_line:"*workspace*" OR parent_process_name:"explorer.exe")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2021-31214

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Published: May 11, 2021

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

• https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2021-31214 Patch,Vendor Advisory
• https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2021-31214 Patch,Vendor Advisory

📤 Share & Export

Twitter LinkedIn Reddit Copy Link

📄 Export Markdown 📋 Export JSON