A set of ten malicious VSCode extensions on the Microsoft Visual Studio Code Marketplace has been found to infect users with the XMRig cryptominer for Monero. These extensions masquerade as legitimate tools and execute a PowerShell script to install the malware while also disabling critical Windows security features. Microsoft has since removed the extensions and blocked the publisher from the marketplace.

The article analyzes the risks associated with supply chain vulnerabilities in the Visual Studio Code (VSCode) extension marketplaces. It highlights the potential threats to software security and integrity stemming from third-party extensions and provides insights on how developers can mitigate these risks.