# CVE-2019-16765: Code injection in vscode-codeql

> Attackers can execute arbitrary code by tricking users into opening a malicious workspace with the CodeQL extension active.

- **Severity:** High 7.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 25 Nov 2019
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-wf4x-8mpj-r42q, GHSA-x3w4-7cmr-9gv2

## What is CVE-2019-16765?

CVE-2019-16765 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in github vscode-codeql, published on 25 Nov 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

If an attacker can get a user to open a specially prepared directory tree as a workspace in Visual Studio Code with the CodeQL extension active, arbitrary code of the attacker's choosing may be executed on the user's behalf. This is fixed in version 1.0.1 of the extension. Users should upgrade to this version using Visual Studio Code Marketplace's upgrade mechanism. After upgrading, the codeQL.cli.executablePath setting can only be set in the per-user settings, and not in the per-workspace settings. More information about VS Code settings can be found here.

Weakness: CWE-250 (Execution with Unnecessary Privileges), CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-16765?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Microsoft Codeql.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-16765?

No fix has been published for CVE-2019-16765 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2019-16765 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-16765 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-16765 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-16765 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in github vscode-codeql, published on 25 Nov 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-16765 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: github vscode-codeql. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-16765/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-16765/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-16765
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-16765
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-16765

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-16765/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.