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AI coding extension install checklistbefore you install or update an AI coding extension
TimeBinder adds a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes. Check where the extension comes from, whether it updates itself, what the tool’s built-in browser and agent can reach, and the dated list of what you have installed.
Nothing you tick is sent anywhere. This page cannot scan an extension or tell you whether one is safe or whether a machine is clean. It is not security advice. The reports it mentions describe specific findings, not every tool.
Check the source, the update path, the access and the copies you can still show
Tick what is true about the extension or tool. You get a shareable result and clear next steps. Nothing you tick is sent to TimeBinder.
Your choices stay on this page. Nothing you tick is sent anywhere or tied to your name.
Tick everything that is true about an AI coding extension or tool you use
This looks at where an AI coding extension comes from, whether it updates itself, what the tool’s built-in browser and agent can reach on your machine, and whether you keep a dated list of what is installed. It is not a scanner and cannot tell you whether an extension is safe.
What to do now
What should I check before installing or updating an AI coding extension? The short answer
Check the publisher, the repository link and the exact version, and prefer the tool’s official marketplace. Keep SSH keys, .env files and npm tokens out of plain text on the machine where you run AI coding tools. Open unfamiliar repositories in a disposable container or virtual machine, and do not open local HTML files from them in a tool’s built-in preview. According to Palo Alto Networks, malicious versions 2.1.312 and 2.1.313 of the Claude Code VS Code extension were distributed through the Cursor extension marketplace on 29 October 2026, and up to 5,000 Cursor users were potentially exposed in about 11 hours. The company says the packages were not developed by Anthropic.
This checklist cannot scan an extension or tell you whether a machine is clean. A TimeBind of a file you already hold, such as a list of installed extensions and versions, can show that exact file existed no later than a recorded time and still matches. It does not show that an extension is safe.
Why this came up in November 2026
Palo Alto Networks reported that on 29 October 2026 maliciously modified versions 2.1.312 and 2.1.313 of the Claude Code VS Code extension (anthropic.claude-code) were distributed through Cursor’s extension marketplace, which mirrors OpenVSX. It says the packages targeted macOS and Windows, collected host information, added an unauthorized SSH public key, and attempted to establish persistence, and that developers were exposed for approximately 11 hours. These are the vendor’s statements and this page does not treat them as more than that.
Separately, a write-up of research by Forever Security dated 29 October describes tests of the built-in browsers in five AI coding tools. It says that in the tests, file reads collected SSH keys, .env files and npm tokens, that one tool let a web page pass hidden instructions to the agent, and that the agent switched its own sandbox off and retried. It lists different fix statuses for different tools, so read the original for the tool you use. The Hacker News also reported a test in which a browser extension that could run scripts on claude.ai got Claude Desktop to run code through the Dispatch feature; the researchers report no real attacks.
Measured demand is visible. Checked on 13 November 2026, about 5:40 AM Australia/Brisbane. Google autocomplete for “vscode extension malicious” returned “vscode malicious extensions list” and “visual studio code extension malicious”, and “ai coding agent security” returned “ai coding agent security vulnerabilities”. Autocomplete shows what people type. It is not search volume.
Sources: Palo Alto Networks, Dark Control AI, summarising Forever Security and The Hacker News.
What this checklist does and does not do
The honest job of this page is to put the checks in a sensible order, not to audit any extension. If you think you installed something bad, see the npm package compromise response checklist and follow the advisory for that package. See also the glossary entries for existed no later than and fingerprint.
| Part | What it does | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
| The source | Reminds you to check the publisher, the repository link and the exact version, and to be careful with mirror marketplaces. | Verify an extension or tell you whether a version is malicious. |
| What it can reach | Reminds you to keep plain-text keys away from the tool, use disposable environments for unfamiliar code and not to rely on a sandbox the agent can switch off. | Tell you whether a secret was exposed. |
| Your records | Reminds you to keep a dated list of installed extensions and versions on each machine. | Tell you what ran on a machine. |
| A TimeBind of a file you already hold | Records that an exact file existed no later than a recorded time and still matches, using a SHA-256 fingerprint made in your browser. The file stays on your device. | Show that an extension is safe or that a machine is clean. |
If your list of installed extensions is something you may need to show later
Before you install or update:
- Keep a dated copy of the list of installed extensions and versions on each machine.
- Make a TimeBind of each exact file you already hold. The fingerprint is made in your browser and the file stays on your device. You can later download a Proof of Time Certificate.
- Store the list, your notes on what each tool can reach and the certificate together, with the date of each change.
A TimeBind shows the exact file existed no later than the recorded time and still matches. It cannot show that an extension is safe.
First Pooled TimeBind free, no card, then from US$5. An ASAP TimeBind is US$15.
What a TimeBind shows, and what it does not. It shows that an exact file existed no later than a recorded time and that a copy shown later still matches its fingerprint. It does not show who made the file, who owns it, that its contents are true, or whether AI was used to make or edit it. This is general information, not legal advice.
AI coding extension install checklist: FAQ
Is an extension from a marketplace safe?
Not by that fact alone. Palo Alto Networks reported malicious versions of a popular extension on Cursor’s marketplace for about 11 hours. Check the publisher and the version.
Why not open unfamiliar repositories in the built-in preview?
Dark Control AI’s summary of Forever Security’s tests says built-in browsers in some tools could read files such as SSH keys and .env files. Use a disposable container or virtual machine for unfamiliar code and read the original report for your tool.
What if I installed an affected version?
Follow the vendor’s advisory. The Palo Alto Networks write-up describes steps such as checking for an unauthorized SSH key. Rotate secrets from a clean computer. See the npm compromise checklist on this site.
Does a dated record show that a machine is clean?
No. A TimeBind of a file you already hold, such as a list of extensions and versions, can show that exact file existed no later than a recorded time and still matches. It does not show that a machine is clean.
Is this checklist a security audit?
No. It runs in your browser and only helps you plan the order of the checks. For a real incident, follow your organisation’s security process.
Is anything I tick sent to TimeBinder?
No. The checklist runs in your browser. Your ticks stay on the page.
Related guides and tools
- MCP server install checklistThe same checks for MCP servers
- npm package compromise response checklistIf you already installed something you doubt
- AI agent file access checklistWhat an agent can read on your machine
- AI coding assistant settings file secrets checklistKeep secrets out of settings files
- Developer timestampingThe TimeBinder hub for developer file records
- GlossaryPlain definitions of fingerprint, SHA-256 and existed no later than
- All free toolsPrivate, in-browser tools
Date the exact files you already hold
Add a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes: a dated, checkable record of what you had installed and when.
- Open the app and sign in with email or Google.
- Add your files. They stay on your computer.
- Seal them and download your Proof of Time certificates.
First Pooled TimeBind free, no card, then from US$5. See pricing.