How severe is CVE-2019-16765?

CVE-2019-16765 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.4, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2019-16765 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 5% (91st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2019-16765?

CVE-2019-16765 affects Microsoft Codeql. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2019-16765?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2019-16765 published?

CVE-2019-16765 was published on 2019-11-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2019-16765

CVE-2019-16765 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Codeql with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.4. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-22.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.4)
CVSS v2: 6.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 5% (91st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-22
Affected product: Microsoft Codeql
Published: 2019-11-25
Last modified: 2026-06-17

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.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-16765?: 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.
How severe is CVE-2019-16765?: CVE-2019-16765 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.4, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2019-16765 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 5% (91st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2019-16765?: CVE-2019-16765 affects Microsoft Codeql. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2019-16765?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2019-16765 published?: CVE-2019-16765 was published on 2019-11-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:codeql:*:*:*:*:*:visual_studio_code:*:*

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