Visual Studio Code Scanner

Visual Studio Code is a widely-used source-code editor developed by Microsoft. It is primarily used by developers and programmers for building software applications across various operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS. It supports a wide range of programming languages and offers features such as debugging, syntax highlighting, intelligent code completion, and more. Many developers integrate Visual Studio Code with various extensions and plugins to enhance its capabilities and streamline their workflows. The versatility and customizable nature of Visual Studio Code make it a popular choice among developers, increasing productivity and improving code quality. Due to its widespread use, ensuring secure configurations in Visual Studio Code is crucial for protecting sensitive data and preventing potential security vulnerabilities.

This scanner detects the presence of exposed Visual Studio Code MCP (Model Context Protocol) configuration files, specifically "mcp.json". These files potentially contain sensitive information such as API keys, server endpoints, authentication tokens, and various tool configurations used in AI assistants and language models. The exposure of such configurations can occur inadvertently during development or deployment stages, leading to unauthorized access and potential data leaks. Identifying such exposures is crucial for developers to secure their applications and safeguard confidential information. Ensuring proper protection and privacy of configuration files is fundamental in maintaining secure application environments. This scanner plays a pivotal role in identifying and addressing possible exposures in Visual Studio Code's configurations.

Technical vulnerabilities arise when Visual Studio Code's configuration files, particularly "mcp.json", become exposed to unauthorized entities. These files are accessible through predictable URLs such as '/mcp.json' or '/.mcp.json', potentially allowing anyone with access to the URL to read the file content. The configuration files often include sensitive attributes like "mcpServers" and "args", providing detailed operational parameters and authentication mechanisms for connected services. Exposure of such files can result from misconfigurations or insufficient access controls, making it imperative to address these security gaps. This scanner inspects the presence of these files and verifies their access configurations to ensure they are not exposed unintentionally. The scanner's targeted approach ensures precise detection of vulnerable configurations, helping in the rectification process.

If exploited, this vulnerability could lead to severe consequences affecting the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of systems relying on Visual Studio Code configurations. Unauthorized access to such configuration files can result in unauthorized use of API keys and tokens, potentially leading to data breaches, service interruptions, or compromise of associated AI assistant models. Attackers could exploit the leaked information to gain further access into the network or execute malicious actions within the system. Such exposures jeopardize intellectual property, user data, and can incur significant financial and reputational losses. Timely detection and mitigation of configuration exposures are critical in averting these potential risks and ensuring robust security for applications developed using Visual Studio Code.

REFERENCES

• https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/chat/mcp-servers
• https://modelcontextprotocol.io/