Visual Studio JSON Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Description

<p>A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Visual Studio Code when a user is tricked into opening a malicious 'package.json' file. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user. If the current user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker could take control of the affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.</p> <p>To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to convince a target to clone a repository and open it in Visual Studio Code. Attacker-specified code would execute when the target opens the malicious 'package.json' file.</p> <p>The update address the vulnerability by modifying the way Visual Studio Code handles JSON files.</p>

Scores

EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)

4.6% · top 8.3% of all CVEs (4 Nov 2026)

The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.8.

Weakness

• Remote Code Execution

Affected products

• Microsoft · Visual Studio Code

  • affected 1.0.0 – < publication

References (1)

• https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2020-17023 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred

Sources

The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.

• CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
• CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
• NVD (opens in a new tab)
• FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
• OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
• GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
• CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)

Badge for a README or a ticket

[![CVE-2020-17023](https://trackcve.app/badge/CVE-2020-17023.svg)](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2020-17023)

Record last updated 4 Aug 2024, 13:45 UTC.