Slide 2 · What Just Happened
The agent had capabilities it didn’t need — and used them all.
Let’s break down the Copilot story step by step.
Read any file — including third-party libraries with malicious comments
Write any file — including VS Code’s own settings
Modify security config — auto-approve disabled all future confirmations
Run shell commands — download and execute remote payloads
Read project source files — to suggest relevant code
Nothing else — code suggestion does not require write access, config changes, or shell execution
The Gap
Every extra capability was a capability the attacker could use. The attacker didn’t break in — they directed an already-overpowered agent. The agent did the damage on their behalf, using its own legitimate credentials.
This Is CVE-2025-53773
Patched in Microsoft’s August 2025 Patch Tuesday. The fix required user approval for any security-relevant configuration changes. The vulnerability existed because the agent’s power was never scoped to its purpose.