The security flaw allows for remote code execution (RCE), which gives hackers total access to your computer to install, run, and modify anything on it without your knowledge.
All Windows, Linux, and Unix versions of VLC are affected, but not the macOS version. And without a complete patch (the one VideoLAN is working on is only 60 percent complete), the only way to keep your computer safe for the moment is to uninstall VLC. So, if you're running any one of the affected operating systems and you have VLC installed, you're exposed.