Inline obfuscation-risk diagnostics and reverse-mapped stack traces for pyobfus, the open-source AST-based Python code obfuscator.
Why trust this extension
This category has a documented trust problem: in April 2025, a malicious extension named "Python Obfuscator for VSCode" was part of a 10-extension malware campaign that reached 300,000+ installs before removal (it deployed the XMRig cryptominer via a PowerShell loader). This extension is not that, and doesn't have to ask you to take that on faith:
- Fully open source: github.com/zhurong2020/pyobfus, Apache-2.0.
- OpenSSF Best Practices verified — the underlying pyobfus project holds the passing badge.
- PEP 740 attested PyPI releases — every
pyobfusrelease is published via OIDC Trusted Publishing with cryptographic build attestations, independently verifiable via PyPI's integrity API. - A build-provenance manifest (
--provenance-manifest) and a tool-description integrity manifest (pyobfus-mcp-verify, for the companion MCP server) — both self-consistency-checkable, not just claimed. - No telemetry, no network calls beyond the explicit, user-initiated "Unlock Pro" link. This extension only ever shells out to your own locally-installed
pyobfus.
Features
Inline risk diagnostics
Runs pyobfus --check on every save and surfaces findings (dynamic
eval/exec, reflection, unsafe deserialization, and more) as native VS
Code diagnostics — squiggly underlines + Problems panel, no extra
extension required. If you already use
Error Lens,
pyobfus's findings get its enhanced inline treatment automatically.
Reverse stack traces
pyobfus's signature feature: obfuscated code still produces AI-debuggable
tracebacks. Select (or copy) a mangled stack trace, run pyobfus: Reverse
Stack Trace, pick the mapping.json from your build, and get the
original identifiers back in a new tab — without ever exposing the mapping
to whoever sent you the trace.
Status bar
Shows your current tier (Community/Trial/Pro) and the last check's result.
Click it for a quick menu: check the workspace, generate a pyobfus.yaml,
start a free trial, or unlock Pro — the trial/unlock items disappear once
you're already on that tier.
Right-click obfuscate
Right-click a .py file or a folder in the Explorer (or inside an open
Python file) → Obfuscate with pyobfus to run a real obfuscation build,
not just the risk check, with an editable output path.
Pro trial / unlock
pyobfus: Start 5-Day Pro Trial (no credit card) and pyobfus: Unlock Pro Edition ($45 one-time, 30-day money-back guarantee) are also available from the Command Palette or the status bar menu.
Requirements
- Python 3.9+ with
pyobfusinstalled (pip install pyobfus) in the interpreter VS Code is using for your workspace (the ms-python.python extension is used to detect this automatically).
Settings
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
pyobfus.pythonPath |
"" (auto-detect) |
Explicit interpreter path, if you don't want auto-detection via ms-python.python. |
pyobfus.checkOnSave |
true |
Run the risk check on every .py save. |
Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
pyobfus: Check Current File for Obfuscation Risks |
Manual check, current file. |
pyobfus: Check Workspace for Obfuscation Risks |
Manual check, whole workspace. |
pyobfus: Reverse Stack Trace |
Reverse a mangled traceback via a mapping.json. |
pyobfus: Generate pyobfus.yaml |
Scan the workspace and write a ready-to-use config. |
Obfuscate with pyobfus |
Run a real obfuscation build on a file or folder. |
pyobfus: Start 5-Day Pro Trial |
No credit card required. |
pyobfus: Unlock Pro Edition |
$45 one-time, 30-day money-back guarantee. |
pyobfus: Show Menu |
The same menu the status bar item opens. |
Links
- pyobfus on GitHub
- pyobfus on PyPI
- Documentation
- Companion MCP server for Claude Code / Cursor / other AI coding agents
License
Apache-2.0.
