AI Chat Agent Vulnerability in Eclipse Theia Affects Workspace Security

CVE-2026-44688

What is CVE-2026-44688?

In Eclipse Theia, prior to version 1.71.0, the AI chat agent mishandled workspace file and directory names as part of its prompt context, failing to differentiate them from system instructions. This oversight allowed attackers to create malicious repositories with carefully crafted directory or file names. When the AI agent analyzed these inputs, it could inadvertently execute attacker-controlled commands, a situation representing indirect prompt injection. This vulnerability, when exploited in conjunction with other untrusted workspace features, paved the way for potential data exfiltration through various means, including Markdown image rendering, as well as the execution of arbitrary commands via task definitions.

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