Cursor is vulnerable to RCE via .code-workspace files using Prompt Injection
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-94.
Summary
Cursor is a code editor built for programming with AI. Versions 1.6 and below are vulnerable to Remote Code Execution (RCE) attacks through Visual Studio Code Workspaces. Workspaces allow users to open more than a single folder and save specific settings (pretty similar to .vscode/settings.json) for the folders / project. An untitled workspace is automatically created by VS Code (untitled.code-workspace), which contains all the folders and workspace settings from the user's current session, opening up an entire new attack vector if the user has a .code-workspace file in path (either untitled created automatically or a saved one). If an attacker is able to hijack the chat context of the victim (such as via a compromised MCP server), they can use prompt injection to make the Cursor Agent write into this file and modify the workspace. This leads to a bypass of CVE-2025-54130 which can lead to RCE by writing to the settings section. This issue is fixed in version 1.7.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
- Fix · CNA cursor (cursor) Fixed in 1.7
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-61590
References
More Cursor vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-45043 Cursor for Windows 3.2.16 RCE via Malicious git.exe in Workspace CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
- TI-2025-33979 Cursor's Modification of MCP Server Definitions Bypasses Manual Re-approvals CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2026-37271 Cursor Desktop sandbox escape via symlink and failed path canonicalization CVSS 4.0CRITICAL 9.3
- TI-2026-37270 Cursor Desktop sandbox escape via agent-controlled working directory CVSS 4.0CRITICAL 9.3
- TI-2025-38037 Cursor CLI's Cursor Agent MCP OAuth2 Communication is Vulnerable to Remote Code Execution CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2025-33978 Cursor Agent is vulnerable to prompt injection via MCP Special Files CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
Sources
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences