Select an item from the QuickPick by text or index.
AI agents invoke vscode_select_quick_pick_item to trigger actions in VSCode Automation MCP. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call — builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.
Selecting a QuickPick item in VSCode triggers an action whose effects entirely depend on what item is selected — it could open files, run commands, change settings, or trigger extensions. This is a UI interaction that executes operations, placing it in the Execute category. The blast radius is medium since the outcome depends on context, but could potentially trigger significant operations.
From the tool's definition Select an item from the QuickPick by text or index — interacts with VSCode UI to trigger QuickPick actions, which can execute arbitrary VSCode commands or operations depending on the selected item
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access vscode_select_quick_pick_item gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and VSCode Automation MCP, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for vscode_select_quick_pick_item:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"vscode_select_quick_pick_item": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "vscode_select_quick_pick_item_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 10,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}vscode_select_quick_pick_item stays usable, but rate-capped — a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Select an item from the QuickPick by text or index. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the VSCode Automation MCP MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
Register the VSCode Automation MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for vscode_select_quick_pick_item: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches VSCode Automation MCP. Nothing to install.
vscode_select_quick_pick_item is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the vscode_select_quick_pick_item rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for vscode_select_quick_pick_item. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
vscode_select_quick_pick_item is provided by the VSCode Automation MCP server (sukarth/vscode-automation-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from VSCode Automation MCP, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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61 VSCode Automation MCP tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.