# Critical Cursor IDE Flaws Let Prompt Injection Escape the Sandbox — Zero-Click Code Execution

*2026-07-02 06:01 UTC · AI · 2 min read*

> Two 9.8-severity "DuneSlide" flaws let a single malicious prompt break Cursor's sandbox and run commands with zero clicks; patched in version 3.0, but older installs remain exposed.

Security researchers at Cato AI Labs disclosed two critical vulnerabilities in the Cursor AI code editor, tracked as CVE-2026-50548 and CVE-2026-50549 and nicknamed "DuneSlide," both rated 9.8 out of 10 in severity. Attackers can chain the flaws to escape Cursor's sandbox and run arbitrary commands on a developer's machine using nothing but a single malicious prompt.

The first bug abuses the optional working_directory parameter on Cursor's run_terminal_cmd tool: when an AI agent sets it to a non-default path, Cursor adds that path to its allowed-write list without question, letting injected instructions overwrite the sandbox helper itself or startup files like ~/.zshrc. The second exploits a symlink-resolution fallback to write outside the project folder when its own checks fail. Because the attack rides on prompt injection — hidden instructions planted in an MCP-connected service or a web page the agent reads — "there is no click to fall for and no approval box to ignore."

Cato reported the flaws on February 19; Cursor initially rejected the report before reopening and patching it by February 26. Both bugs are fixed in Cursor 3.0 (released April 2), but every earlier version remains vulnerable, and over half of Fortune 500 companies reportedly use the editor. No active exploitation has been observed so far.

## Sources

- [thehackernews.com](https://thehackernews.com/2026/07/critical-cursor-flaws-could-let-prompt.html)

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TechTools News · https://techtools.cz/tools/news/article/1929-critical-cursor-ide-flaws-let-prompt-injection-escape-the-sandbox-zero-click
Česká verze: https://techtools.cz/tools/news/clanek/2002-kriticke-chyby-v-editoru-cursor-umoznuji-prompt-injection-uniknout-ze-sandboxu