Researchers Uncover 73 Fake VS Code Extensions Delivering GlassWorm v2 Malware

Researchers Uncover 73 Fake VS Code Extensions Delivering GlassWorm v2 Malware Ravie LakshmananApr 27, 2026Malware / Software Supply Chain Cybersecurity researchers have flagged dozens of Microsoft Visual Studio Code (VS Code) extensions on the Open VSX repository that are linked to a persistent information-stealing campaign dubbed GlassWorm. The cluster of 73 extensions has been identified as cloned versions of their legitimate counterparts. Of these, six have been confirmed to be malicious, with the remaining acting as seemingly harmless sleeper packages to get users to download them and build trust, before their true intent is manifested through a subsequent update. All the extensions were published at the start of the month, per application security company Socket, which is tracking the latest iteration under the moniker GlassWorm v2. In total, more than 320 artifacts have been identified since December 21, 2025. The list of extensions identified as malicious is listed below - outsidestormcommand.monochromator-theme keyacrosslaud.auto-loop-for-antigravity krundoven.ironplc-fast-hub boulderzitunnel.vscode-buddies cubedivervolt.html-code-validate winnerdomain17.version-lens-tool The cloned sleepers, besides typosquatting the names of the original packages (CEINTL.vscode-language-pack-tr vs. Emotionkyoseparate.turkish-language-pack), use the same icon and description as their corresponding legitimate versions in an attempt to fool unsuspecting developers and trick them into installing the extensions. This "visual trust" acts as an effective social engineering tactic to boost install counts organically before it's poisoned to serve malware to the downstream users. The disclosure comes as the threat actors behind the campaign are actively evolving their modus operandi, pivoting to sleeper packages and transitive dependencies to evade detection, while simultaneously using Zig-based droppers to deploy a secondary VSIX extension hosted on GitHub that can infect all integrated development environments (IDEs) on a developer's machine. The extensions identified by Socket act as an innocuous loader for the actual payload, which is a VSIX extension that's retrieved from GitHub and installed into every IDE identified in the system, including VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and VSCodium, using the "--install-extension" command. Irrespective of the method used, the end goal is the same: run malware that avoids Russian systems, steal sensitive data, install a remote access trojan (RAT), and stealthily deploy a rogue Chromium-based extension to siphon credentials, bookmarks, and other information. "This approach achieves the same outcome as the binary-based variant, but keeps the delivery logic in obfuscated JavaScript," the company said. "The extension acts as a loader, while the payload is retrieved and executed after activation." Found this article interesting? Follow us on Google News, Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post. SHARE     Tweet Share Share SHARE  cybersecurity, Developer Tools, Information Stealer, Malware, Open Source, Remote Access Trojan, social engineering, Software Supply Chain, Threat Intelligence, Visual Studio Code Trending News Apache ActiveMQ CVE-2026-34197 Added to CISA KEV Amid Active Exploitation Vercel Breach Tied to Context AI Hack Exposes Limited Customer Credentials Why Threat Intelligence Is the Missing Link in CTEM Prioritization and Validation 108 Malicious Chrome Extensions Steal Google and Telegram Data, Affecting 20,000 Users New PHP Composer Flaws Enable Arbitrary Command Execution — Patches Released Microsoft Issues Patches for SharePoint Zero-Day and 168 Other New Vulnerabilities Three Microsoft Defender Zero-Days Actively Exploited; Two Still Unpatched Cisco Patches Four Critical Identity Services, Webex Flaws Enabling Code Execution Your MTTD Looks Great. Your Post-Alert Gap Doesn't n8n Webhooks Abused Since October 2025 to Deliver Malware via Phishing Emails The Hidden Security Risks of Shadow AI in Enterprises Anthropic MCP Design Vulnerability Enables RCE, Threatening AI Supply Chain Actively Exploited nginx-ui Flaw (CVE-2026-33032) Enables Full Nginx Server Takeover Mirax Android RAT Turns Devices into SOCKS5 Proxies, Reaching 220,000 via Meta Ads Why Security Leaders Are Layering Email Defense on Top of Secure Email Gateways OpenAI Launches GPT-5.4-Cyber with Expanded Access for Security Teams Load More ▼ Popular Resources Automate Alert Triage and Investigations Across Every Threat How to Identify Risky Browser Extensions in Your Organization Fix Rising Application Security Risks Driven by AI Development Discover Key AI Security Gaps CISOs Face in 2026