CVE-2026-21257 GitHub Copilot and Visual Studio Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

High 8.0 Published 10 Feb 2026 Updated 19 Aug 2026

An authorized attacker can exploit command injection in GitHub Copilot and Visual Studio to elevate privileges and execute code.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: Any signed-in user
Attackable: Over the internet
Victim action needed: A user has to click or open something
Fix: None listed

What is CVE-2026-21257?

CVE-2026-21257 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Microsoft Visual Studio 2022, published on 10 Feb 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

Official description

Improper neutralization of special elements used in a command ('command injection') in GitHub Copilot and Visual Studio allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network.

Weakness: CWE-77

Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-21257?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Microsoft Visual Studio 2022.

How do I fix CVE-2026-21257?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-21257 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

Upgrade, and pass arguments to programs as a list instead of through a shell. More about Command injection.

Is CVE-2026-21257 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-21257 in the wild and no public exploit code.

All Microsoft Visual Studio 2022 vulnerabilities

Sources

Also known as GHSA-g435-352v-fpxp.