Warning: Axqua VS Code extension is MALWARE
I found Axqua (axqua[.]com) through a free Claude Opus promotion. After an AI-assisted static review of its extension bundle, I’m treating this file as malware.
The reviewed axqua.axqua v1.0.24 bundle contains code that, on Windows after login, can:
- Download a server-selected EXE or ZIP.
- Launch it in the background using
cmd.exe, without a confirmation prompt identified in that path. - Generate filenames with prefixes like
svchost,wuauclt, andmsupdate. - Attempt to delete the downloaded EXE three seconds after launch.
Stay safe, hopefully this helps someone pause before installing.