fix(vscode): clarify effective permissions - #12077
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marius-kilocode
enabled auto-merge
July 9, 2026 15:49
kirillk
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fix(vscode): clarify effective permissions
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The Auto-Approve settings currently present missing permission rules as Ask, even though the CLI allows most tools by default. This makes the UI promise protection that is not present in the effective backend configuration.
For example, this partial configuration only customizes Bash:
{ "permission": { "bash": { "*": "ask", "git status *": "allow" } } }Before this change, the settings UI showed Edit as Ask. The config contains no Edit rule, however, so the CLI falls back to its default and evaluates Edit as Allow. Selecting Ask is also difficult because the dropdown already appears to be set to Ask.
This becomes especially confusing for external files. An Edit call first checks
external_directory, which Kilo labeledRead External Directory. The resulting sequence looked like this:Read External Directory /home/user/project/*.Run, expecting to authorize a read.The backend is applying its configured rules correctly, but the settings value, permission wording, and action label make that behavior look like an Edit permission bypass.
This change makes the UI reflect the effective permission model. Global permission rows start from the CLI wildcard defaults and then apply configured rules in their existing order. Missing values are shown as inherited defaults rather than explicit choices. With the Bash-only configuration above, the UI now shows:
Default (Ask)AskDefault (Allow)Default (Ask)Explicit rules remain explicit. For example:
{ "permission": { "edit": "ask" } }Edit is displayed as Ask and the CLI requests a separate Edit approval before changing a file. Choosing Ask for a previously missing Edit rule now writes this explicit configuration instead of leaving the rule absent.
Ordered wildcard rules are reflected as well. In this configuration, the later broad rule wins and Edit is Ask:
{ "permission": { "edit": "allow", "*": "ask" } }Reversing those entries makes the later explicit Edit rule win:
{ "permission": { "*": "ask", "edit": "allow" } }External-directory requests now say
Access External Directory, which accurately covers reads, edits, searches, and other path-based operations. The primary action is labeledAllow onceinstead ofRun, while persistent Auto-Approve rule controls remain separate. Per-agent permission inheritance is unchanged.