# CVE-2026-50549: Cursor AI editor sandbox escape via improper link resolution

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-50549-cursor-ai-editor-sandbox-escape-via-improper-link-resolution  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-06-25. Updated: 2026-06-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-50549 · Severity: info · CVSS 9.3 · Published 2026-06-25

Cursor, an AI-powered code editor, contains a vulnerability that allows its AI agent to bypass security restrictions and write files anywhere on a user's computer. By tricking the software's safety checks using symbolic links, a malicious agent can escape its restricted environment (sandbox) to modify system files or install malicious software. This could lead to full control over the user's machine with no interaction required beyond a standard AI prompt.

Technologies: [Anysphere Cursor](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/cursor). Vendors: [Anysphere](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/anysphere).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-50549 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-50549 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-50549?** Informational severity, with a CVSS score of 9.3, published 25 June 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Anysphere Cursor < 3.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-50549?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-50549 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-50549?** Check whether you run Anysphere Cursor at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

A sandbox escape exists in Cursor versions prior to 3.0 due to improper path canonicalization (CWE-59). When the AI agent attempts a file write, it tries to canonicalize the path to ensure it remains within the workspace; however, if canonicalization fails (e.g., due to a non-existent target or restricted read permissions), the system incorrectly falls back to the original path and proceeds with the write without user approval. An attacker can exploit this by creating a symlink within the workspace that points to a sensitive location outside the workspace. By forcing a canonicalization failure, the agent can write through the symlink to arbitrary locations, potentially overwriting the 'cursorsandbox' helper to achieve non-sandboxed Remote Code Execution (RCE). This issue is resolved in version 3.0 by blocking writes when canonicalization fails.

## Affected products

- Cursor Cursor < 3.0

## Timeline

- 2026-06-05: advisory: GitHub advisory published
- 2026-06-25: disclosed: CVE published to NVD

## References

- [https://github.com/cursor/cursor/security/advisories/GHSA-3v8f-48vw-3mjx](https://github.com/cursor/cursor/security/advisories/GHSA-3v8f-48vw-3mjx)

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