Coder Guard – Protect Your IDE from Malicious Extensions
There is a growing problem with VSCode extensions: - they're not sandboxed (yet) - just like double-clicking an .exe file - they don't have a permission model - they auto update - they have built-in persistence - they are installed on developer machines with high-value credentials The recent CircleCI and LastPass incidents were both suspected to originate from a compromised developer machine - which is becoming every organization's Achilles heel in terms of cyber posture So I've been working on a way to help mitigate some of these risks Right now, only an MVP of a "CLI" is available: $ code…
Coder Guard – Protect Your IDE from Malicious Extensions launched on January 26, 2023 with 10 votes, #1,399 of 3,901 launches that month and more than 75% of that year's launches.
In plain words
Coder Guard is a security tool that scans VSCode extensions to identify potential risks from malicious or compromised add-ons. It addresses the vulnerability of unsandboxed extensions installed on developer machines that contain high-value credentials. Currently available as a CLI tool, it analyzes installed extensions and provides threat intelligence to help organizations assess extension trustworthiness and reduce the risk of compromised developer environments.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
In the maker’s words, at launch
There is a growing problem with VSCode extensions: - they're not sandboxed (yet) - just like double-clicking an .exe file - they don't have a permission model - they auto update - they have built-in persistence - they are installed on developer machines with high-value credentials The recent CircleCI and LastPass…
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Source: Show HN post ↗ · launch text quoted in part
Launched alongside, January 2023
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