Environment capture is leaking commands into shell history (and is broken)

[allenap]

Type: Bug

Behaviour

My shell history (Bash) has the following command periodically added to it:

/usr/bin/python3 /Users/gavin/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2024.16.1-darwin-arm64/python_files/printEnvVariablesToFile.py /Users/gavin/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.python-2024.16.1-darwin-arm64/python_files/deactivate/bash/envVars.txt

I assume this extension is starting a full interactive shell in order to capture environment variables, i.e. such that history is enabled.

Secondly, the printEnvVariablesToFile.py script is broken:

# Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
# Licensed under the MIT License.

import os
import sys

# Last argument is the target file into which we'll write the env variables line by line.
output_file = sys.argv[-1]

with open(output_file, "w") as outfile:  # noqa: PTH123
    for key, val in os.environ.items():
        outfile.write(f"{key}={val}\n")

This opens the file with a default UTF-8 encoding. However, environment variables can contain any binary content except NUL bytes, so at some point this will crash. They can also contain newline characters, meaning that the envVars.txt file it produces cannot be reliably parsed.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Open VS Code.
2. Open new shell.
3. Run history.

Extension version: 2024.16.1
VS Code version: Code 1.94.2 (Universal) (384ff7382de624fb94dbaf6da11977bba1ecd427, 2024-10-09T16:08:44.566Z)
OS version: Darwin arm64 24.1.0
Modes:

• Python version (& distribution if applicable, e.g. Anaconda): 3.13.0
• Type of virtual environment used (e.g. conda, venv, virtualenv, etc.): Venv
• Value of the python.languageServer setting: Default

User Settings

languageServer: "Pylance"

Installed Extensions

Extension Name	Extension Id	Version
Black Formatter	ms-python.black-formatter	2024.4.0
Bookmarks	alefragnani.Bookmarks	13.5.0
undefined	bbenoist.Nix	1.0.1
C/C++	ms-vscode.cpptools	1.22.10
CloudFormation Linter	kddejong.vscode-cfn-lint	0.26.0
Code Spell Checker	streetsidesoftware.code-spell-checker	3.0.1
CodeLLDB	vadimcn.vscode-lldb	1.11.0
Dependi	fill-labs.dependi	0.7.10
Dev Containers	ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers	0.388.0
direnv	mkhl.direnv	0.17.0
Docker	ms-azuretools.vscode-docker	1.29.3
edamagit	kahole.magit	0.6.62
EditorConfig for VS Code	EditorConfig.EditorConfig	0.16.4
Elm Land	elm-land.elm-land	0.2.5
ENV	IronGeek.vscode-env	0.1.0
Error Lens	usernamehw.errorlens	3.20.0
ESLint	dbaeumer.vscode-eslint	3.0.10
Even Better TOML	tamasfe.even-better-toml	0.19.2
GDB syntax	pierre-payen.gdb-syntax	0.5.7
GitHub Codespaces	GitHub.codespaces	1.17.3
GitHub Copilot	GitHub.copilot	1.243.0
GitHub Copilot Chat	GitHub.copilot-chat	0.21.2
GitHub Markdown Preview	bierner.github-markdown-preview	0.3.0
GitHub Pull Requests	GitHub.vscode-pull-request-github	0.98.0
GitLens — Git supercharged	eamodio.gitlens	15.6.2
GraphQL: Inline Operation Execution	GraphQL.vscode-graphql-execution	0.3.0
GraphQL: Language Feature Support	GraphQL.vscode-graphql	0.12.0
GraphQL: Syntax Highlighting	GraphQL.vscode-graphql-syntax	1.3.6
HashiCorp Terraform	hashicorp.terraform	2.33.0
Haskell	haskell.haskell	2.4.4
Haskell Syntax Highlighting	justusadam.language-haskell	3.6.0
isort	ms-python.isort	2023.10.1
JavaScript Debugger	ms-vscode.js-debug	1.94.0
JavaScript Debugger Companion Extension	ms-vscode.js-debug-companion	1.1.3
JSON5 syntax	mrmlnc.vscode-json5	1.0.0
Jupyter	ms-toolsai.jupyter	2024.9.1
Jupyter Cell Tags	ms-toolsai.vscode-jupyter-cell-tags	0.1.9
Jupyter Keymap	ms-toolsai.jupyter-keymap	1.1.2
Jupyter Notebook Renderers	ms-toolsai.jupyter-renderers	1.0.19
Jupyter Slide Show	ms-toolsai.vscode-jupyter-slideshow	0.1.6
Language Support for Java(TM) by Red Hat	redhat.java	1.35.1
LinkerScript	ZixuanWang.linkerscript	1.0.4
Markdown Checkboxes	bierner.markdown-checkbox	0.4.0
Markdown Emoji	bierner.markdown-emoji	0.3.0
Markdown Footnotes	bierner.markdown-footnotes	0.1.1
Markdown Preview Github Styling	bierner.markdown-preview-github-styles	2.1.0
Markdown Preview Mermaid Support	bierner.markdown-mermaid	1.26.0
Markdown yaml Preamble	bierner.markdown-yaml-preamble	0.1.0
Mypy Type Checker	ms-python.mypy-type-checker	2024.0.0
ormolu	sjurmillidahl.ormolu-vscode	0.0.10
PostgreSQL Language Server	uniquevision.vscode-plpgsql-lsp	2.11.3
Prettier - Code formatter	esbenp.prettier-vscode	11.0.0
Procfile	benspaulding.procfile	1.1.7
Pylance	ms-python.vscode-pylance	2024.10.1
Python	ms-python.python	2024.16.1
Python Debugger	ms-python.debugpy	2024.12.0
Quit Control for VSCode	artdiniz.quitcontrol-vscode	4.0.0
Rails	bung87.rails	0.17.8
Remote - SSH	ms-vscode-remote.remote-ssh	0.115.0
Remote - SSH: Editing Configuration Files	ms-vscode-remote.remote-ssh-edit	0.87.0
Remote Explorer	ms-vscode.remote-explorer	0.4.3
Rewrap	stkb.rewrap	1.16.3
Roc (Unofficial)	IvanDemchenko.roc-lang-unofficial	1.2.0
Ruff	charliermarsh.ruff	2024.52.0
Run on Save	emeraldwalk.RunOnSave	0.2.7
rust-analyzer	rust-lang.rust-analyzer	0.3.2162
ShellCheck	timonwong.shellcheck	0.37.1
Slim	sianglim.slim	0.1.2
Sort lines	Tyriar.sort-lines	1.11.0
Sort selection	jmredfern.sort-selection	2.0.1
Sparse Crates	citreae535.sparse-crates	0.1.0
Table Visualizer for JavaScript Profiles	ms-vscode.vscode-js-profile-table	1.0.10
Test Adapter Converter	ms-vscode.test-adapter-converter	0.2.0
Test Explorer UI	hbenl.vscode-test-explorer	2.22.1
Todo Tree	Gruntfuggly.todo-tree	0.0.226
vscode-gemfile	bung87.vscode-gemfile	0.4.2
vscode-icons	vscode-icons-team.vscode-icons	12.9.0
WebAssembly	dtsvet.vscode-wasm	1.4.1
XML Format	mikeburgh.xml-format	1.1.3
YAML	redhat.vscode-yaml	1.15.0
Zig Language	ziglang.vscode-zig	0.5.9

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	Apple M3 Pro (11 x 2400)
GPU Status	2d_canvas: enabled canvas_oop_rasterization: enabled_on direct_rendering_display_compositor: disabled_off_ok gpu_compositing: enabled multiple_raster_threads: enabled_on opengl: enabled_on rasterization: enabled raw_draw: disabled_off_ok skia_graphite: disabled_off video_decode: enabled video_encode: enabled webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled webgpu: enabled webnn: disabled_off
Load (avg)	2, 2, 2
Memory (System)	36.00GB (0.21GB free)
Process Argv	. --crash-reporter-id 87e7dabe-f25e-4383-876b-a6bea12e1495
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%

A/B Experiments

vsliv368:30146709
vspor879:30202332
vspor708:30202333
vspor363:30204092
vscod805:30301674
binariesv615:30325510
vsaa593:30376534
py29gd2263:31024239
c4g48928:30535728
azure-dev_surveyone:30548225
vscrpc:30673769
962ge761:30959799
pythongtdpath:30769146
pythonnoceb:30805159
asynctok:30898717
pythonmypyd1:30879173
h48ei257:31000450
pythontbext0:30879054
cppperfnew:31000557
dsvsc020:30976470
pythonait:31006305
dsvsc021:30996838
724cj586:31013169
dvdeprecation:31068756
dwnewjupytercf:31046870
impr_priority:31102340
nativerepl2:31139839
refactort:31108082
pythonrstrctxt:31112756
wkspc-onlycs-t:31132770
wkspc-ranged-t:31151552
cf971741:31144450
iacca1:31156133
notype1:31157159
5fd0e150:31155592
dwcopilot:31164048
icondisabled:31158250

[karthiknadig]

@allenap This is going away soon. I agree this is broken in few ways. We are working on alternative approach to activation and environment variables management, with the intent of avoiding running things in this manner.

[uwu-420]

Because of this I have about 1000 environment variables that always get restored against my will :( Do I have to unset all of them before closing vscode or is there an easier way? Deleting envVars.txt did not help.

[karthiknadig]

@uwu-420 Try disabling the terminal env var experiment. Add this to your user setting: "python.experiments.optOutFrom": ["pythonTerminalEnvVarActivation"],

[joaomoreno]

Came to file the same issue, just saw this today, when pressing UpArrow in my shell: