type: attack-pattern
spec_version: 2.1
id: attack-pattern--66b34be7-6915-4b83-8d5a-b0f0592b5e41
created: 2025-03-30T22:16:24.078Z
created_by_ref: identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5
revoked: no
external_references: source_name: mitre-attack
url: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1176/002
external_id: T1176.002
source_name: Abramovsky VSCode Security
description: Abramovsky, O. (2023, May 16). VSCode Security: Malicious Extensions Detected- More Than 45,000 Downloads- PII Exposed, and Backdoors Enabled. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
url: https://blog.checkpoint.com/securing-the-cloud/malicious-vscode-extensions-with-more-than-45k-downloads-steal-pii-and-enable-backdoors/
source_name: Lakshmanan Visual Studio Marketplace
description: Lakshmanan, R. (2023, January 9). Hackers Can Abuse Visual Studio Marketplace to Target Developers with Malicious Extensions. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
url: https://thehackernews.com/2023/01/hackers-distributing-malicious-visual.html
source_name: Mnemonic misuse visual studio
description: Mnemonic. (n.d.). Advisory: Misuse of Visual Studio Code for traffic tunnelling. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
url: https://www.mnemonic.io/resources/blog/misuse-of-visual-studio-code-for-traffic-tunnelling/
source_name: ExtensionTotal VSCode Extensions 2025
description: Yuval Ronen. (2025, April 4). Mining in Plain Sight: The VS Code Extension Cryptojacking Campaign. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
url: https://blog.extensiontotal.com/mining-in-plain-sight-the-vs-code-extension-cryptojacking-campaign-19ca12904b59
object_marking_refs: marking-definition--fa42a846-8d90-4e51-bc29-71d5b4802168
modified: 2025-04-23T12:40:46.664Z
name: IDE Extensions
description: Adversaries may abuse an integrated development environment (IDE) extension to establish persistent access to victim systems.(Citation: Mnemonic misuse visual studio) IDEs such as Visual Studio Code, IntelliJ IDEA, and Eclipse support extensions - software components that add features like code linting, auto-completion, task automation, or integration with tools like Git and Docker. A malicious extension can be installed through an extension marketplace (i.e., [Compromise Software Dependencies and Development Tools](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1195/001)) or side-loaded directly into the IDE.(Citation: Abramovsky VSCode Security)(Citation: Lakshmanan Visual Studio Marketplace) 

In addition to installing malicious extensions, adversaries may also leverage benign ones. For example, adversaries may establish persistent SSH tunnels via the use of the VSCode Remote SSH extension (i.e., [IDE Tunneling](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1219/001)). 

Trust is typically established through the installation process; once installed, the malicious extension is run every time that the IDE is launched. The extension can then be used to execute arbitrary code, establish a backdoor, mine cryptocurrency, or exfiltrate data.(Citation: ExtensionTotal VSCode Extensions 2025)
kill_chain_phases: kill_chain_name: mitre-attack
phase_name: persistence
x_mitre_attack_spec_version: 3.2.0
x_mitre_contributors: Raghvendra Mishra, Arista Networks
Kevin Ward
Fabian Kammel
x_mitre_deprecated: no
x_mitre_domains: enterprise-attack
x_mitre_is_subtechnique: yes
x_mitre_modified_by_ref: identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5
x_mitre_platforms: Linux
macOS
Windows
x_mitre_version: 1.0