Critical Copilot vulnerability allowed hackers to steal 2FA code from users

A critical security flaw in GitHub Copilot has been uncovered, exposing users to potential theft of two-factor authentication codes. According to Ars Technica, the vulnerability allowed attackers to intercept sensitive 2FA tokens by exploiting how Copilot processes clipboard data. The issue stems from Copilot's ability to read clipboard contents, which can include temporary 2FA codes copied by users during login. This design oversight enables a malicious actor with local access to capture these codes without the user's knowledge. The discovery highlights a broader tension between AI coding assistants’ convenience features and security best practices. For developers integrating AI tools into their workflows, this incident underscores the need for careful permission management and awareness of data exposure risks. GitHub has since rolled out a fix that restricts clipboard access, but the event serves as a reminder that AI assistants with elevated system access require rigorous security auditing.