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CVE-2026-44691 Eclipse Foundation CVE debrief

CVE-2026-44691 is a high-severity vulnerability in Eclipse Theia, a cloud-native, open-source, extensible, desktop and web-based integrated development environment (IDE). The issue allows custom task definitions in workspace files (e.g., .theia/tasks.json, .vscode/tasks.json) to be executed without requiring workspace trust. An attacker could craft a malicious repository that, when cloned and opened in Theia, leads to execution of arbitrary commands with the user's privileges. This vulnerability is particularly concerning when combined with AI chat features and a workspace .theia/settings.json that disabled tool confirmation, as it could be triggered automatically by sending a message in the AI chat.

Vendor
Eclipse Foundation
Product
Eclipse Theia
CVSS
HIGH 8.4
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2026-06-18
Original CVE updated
2026-06-22
Advisory published
2026-06-18
Advisory updated
2026-06-22

Who should care

Developers and users of Eclipse Theia, especially those working in environments where AI chat features are integrated into their development workflow, should be aware of this vulnerability. Additionally, organizations using Eclipse Theia for development purposes should prioritize updating to version 1.69.0 or later to mitigate this risk.

Technical summary

The vulnerability exists in Eclipse Theia versions prior to 1.69.0. Custom task definitions in workspace files can be executed without requiring workspace trust. This is particularly risky when AI chat features are used in conjunction with a .theia/settings.json configuration that disables tool confirmation. An attacker could exploit this by creating a malicious repository that, when opened in Theia, executes arbitrary commands with the user's privileges.

Defensive priority

High

Recommended defensive actions

  • Update Eclipse Theia to version 1.69.0 or later
  • Review and restrict custom task definitions in workspace files
  • Enable workspace trust for task execution
  • Monitor AI chat interactions for suspicious activity
  • Implement additional security measures for repository cloning and opening

Evidence notes

The CVE record was published on 2026-06-18T16:16:54.097Z and was last modified on 2026-06-22T19:47:14.750Z. The NVD entry is currently Analyzed. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 8.4 and is classified as HIGH severity.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2026-44691 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44691

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2026-44691 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-44691

    NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Supplemental references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.