Cybersecurity Researchers Discover Malicious AI Coding Assistant Extension on VS Code Marketplace

Cybersecurity researchers have identified a malicious extension for Microsoft Visual Studio Code (VS Code) on the official Marketplace, masquerading as a free AI coding assistant named "ClawdBot Agent - AI Coding Assistant" (ID: clawdbot.clawdbot-agent). Previously linked to Moltbot (formerly Clawdbot), this extension stealthily deploys a malicious payload on compromised systems. No specific date or additional technical details about the payload have been provided. The impact affects VS Code users who installed this fraudulent extension. Source: https://thehackernews.com/2026/01/fake-moltbot-ai-coding-assistant-on-vs.html