Microsoft/vscode

Allow blocked environment variables through if they're included explicitly in terminal launch configs

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#104,154 opened on Jul 15, 2020

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 (9 comments) (1 reaction) (1 assignee)TypeScript (74,848 stars) (10,221 forks)batch import
feature-requesthelp wantedterminal-process

Description

  • VSCode Version: 1.47.1 (not insider as I can't get docker builds working on that for some reason)
  • Local OS Version: Windows 10 2004
  • Remote OS Version: WSL2 Ubuntu 20.04
  • Remote Extension/Connection Type: Docker Desktop using WSL2 backend

Steps to Reproduce:

  1. Create a new project with a single file:
# .devcontainer/devcontainer.json
{
  "image": "alpine:latest",
  "remoteEnv": {
    "GOOGLE_API_KEY": "api-key",
    "GOOGLE_SOMETHING_ELSE": "something-else"
  }
}
  1. Rebuild and Reopen in Container
  2. In the remote terminal, check the environment for variables:
$ printenv | grep GOOGLE

Expected outcome:

GOOGLE_API_KEY=api-key
GOOGLE_SOMETHING_ELSE=something-else

Actual outcome:

GOOGLE_SOMETHING_ELSE=something-else

This is the same no matter the base image used. Changing the name of GOOGLE_API_KEY to anything else, even by a single character, allows it through.

Does this issue occur when you try this locally?: Not relevant as this is a remote container build Does this issue occur when you try this locally and all extensions are disabled?: Not relevant as this is a remote container build

Contributor guide

Tech stack
typescriptdocker
Domain
developer experience
Issue type
bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
understanding of VS Code remote containers
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
40
Research direction
Investigate how VS Code filters environment variables in devcontainer configurations. The issue shows that variable names like 'GOOGLE API KEY' are blocked while others are not. Look at the remote container extension code that handles remoteEnv, particularly any blocklist logic. Check if the fix should allow explicit overrides or remove the blocklist altogether. The issue has comments and an assignee, so check for any linked PRs or ongoing work.