Terminal command cancelled passoword or other secret

[dorkmo]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Question

💬 Feature/Topic Area

Copilot Agentic Workflows

Body

Getting this error while trying to run commands on Arduino X8. Using system default passwords. This only started after latest VS Code update. Can I no longer use Autopilot mode?

The terminal command was prompting for a password or other secret. Auto-approve / autopilot mode cannot safely supply secrets, so the command was cancelled. Run the command interactively if you want to provide the secret.

[radwanalmsora]

Hi @dorkmo,
​The behavior you are experiencing is due to a recent security hardening update in VS Code and GitHub Copilot.
​In Autopilot / Auto-approve workflows, Copilot is strictly restricted from interacting with terminal prompts that request sensitive information (like sudo passwords, API tokens, or SSH passphrases). This prevents the AI from accidentally exposing, logging, or mishandling credentials. Since the latest update, the detection of these hidden prompt fields has become much more aggressive.
​You can still use Autopilot mode, but you need to adjust how your terminal commands handle authentication so they don't trigger an interactive password prompt.

​How to Fix This for Arduino X8 / Linux Workflows
​Here are the best ways to bypass this error and keep using Autopilot:
​1. Pass the Password Inline (Non-Interactive)
​If you are using the system default password for a sudo command, you can pipe the password directly into the command so the terminal never opens an interactive prompt.
​Use the -S flag with sudo, which reads the password from standard input:
echo "your_default_password" | sudo -S <your-arduino-command>

Note

Be aware that writing passwords in plaintext within scripts carries security risks, but if you are working in a local/default testing environment, this will unblock Copilot.

2. Configure Passwordless Sudo for Specific Commands
   ​The cleanest and safest way to keep Autopilot working is to allow your current user to run the specific Arduino or flashing deployment commands without requiring a password at all.

Open the sudoers configuration file interactively run this manually once
sudo visudo
Add the following line at the end of the file
replace your_username with your actual terminal user, and specify the path to the tool if possible, or use ALL for testing
your_username ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /path/to/arduino-cli-or-tool
Save and exit. Copilot will now be able to run this command seamlessly in Autopilot mode because it won't trigger a secret prompt.
​3. Authenticate via SSH Keys (If applicable)
​If the prompt is triggered by an SSH connection to the Arduino X8 board, switch from password authentication to SSH Key-based authentication:

• ​Generate an SSH keypair on your local machine (ssh-keygen).
• ​Copy it to the board using ssh-copy-id.
• ​Once configured, Copilot can run remote commands smoothly without ever needing a password input.

Summary

Autopilot mode is not disabled; it is just safely rejecting the interactive password prompt. Applying one of the non-interactive methods above will allow Copilot to resume executing your workflows automatically.
Hope this helps get your Arduino X8 workflow back on track!

[asaddevx]

Hey @dorkmo,

This is not a bug. It is a security feature in the latest VS Code update. Copilot now refuses to auto-approve any terminal command that asks for a password.

Why this happens

Autopilot mode cannot safely supply passwords to terminal prompts. If it did, your secrets could be exposed in logs or command history. The latest update just made this detection more aggressive.

How to fix it

You have three options, from quickest to cleanest:

Option 1 — Run the command manually once

Open a terminal and run the Arduino command yourself. Enter the password when prompted. Copilot will remember that authentication for the rest of your session.

Option 2 — Pass the password inline (quick but less secure)

echo "your_password" | sudo -S your-arduino-command

Option 3 — Set up passwordless sudo for that specific command (cleanest)

Run sudo visudo and add this line (replace username and the command path):

username ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /path/to/arduino-cli

After that, Copilot can run the command without ever triggering a password prompt.

Bottom line

Autopilot mode still works. It just refuses to guess passwords. Set up one of the non-interactive methods above, and your workflow will be back to normal.

[Sanidhya069]

Hi @dorkmo,

You aren't doing anything wrong—this is an intentional security guardrail introduced in recent updates to VS Code and Copilot Agentic Workflows.

To prevent security risks (like an AI agent accidentally leaking credentials or executing privileged commands without explicit human oversight), Copilot is no longer allowed to automatically pass secrets or passwords into terminal prompts when running in auto-approve/autopilot mode.

How to fix or work around this:

1. Run the command interactively (The Immediate Fix)
   As the error message implies, you can no longer let Copilot run this specific command autonomously. You will need to step in, run the command manually in the standard VS Code terminal, and type the system default password yourself. Once authenticated, you can hand control back to Copilot.

2. Set up Passwordless Authentication (The Long-Term Fix)
   Since you are working with an Arduino X8 and trying to automate workflows, relying on terminal password prompts will continually block your autopilot. You need to configure the device so it doesn't prompt for a password at all:

If using SSH: Set up SSH key pairs between your machine and the Arduino so it authenticates automatically without a password prompt.

If running local sudo commands: You may need to edit the visudo file on the Arduino to allow your specific user to run those specific commands without requiring a password (NOPASSWD). Note: Only do this for low-risk commands.

3. Use Environment Variables
   If the CLI tool you are using supports it, pass the default password via an environment variable or a configuration file rather than waiting for an interactive terminal prompt. Copilot can execute commands that pull from existing environment variables, but it cannot type into a live prompt.

Hope this clarifies why the update broke your workflow and helps you get back on track!

[debashish-5]

The error you are seeing is an intentional security guardrail introduced in a recent update to VS Code and GitHub Copilot Agentic Workflows. To prevent credentials from leaking or executing privileged commands without oversight, Copilot Autopilot will now instantly abort any command that triggers an interactive password prompt.

Here are the fastest and most solid ways to bypass this and get your Autopilot working again:

1. The Instant Fix: Pipe the Password Inline (Fastest)

Instead of letting the terminal pause for an interactive prompt, force the command to accept the password automatically from standard input using the sudo -S flag:

echo "your_password" | sudo -S <your-arduino-command>

• Why it works: It handles the authentication entirely on a single line, meaning the terminal never opens a hidden prompt field, allowing Copilot to breeze right past it.

---

2. The Clean Fix: Set Up Passwordless Sudo (Most Solid)

If you are automating workflows on your Arduino X8 and don't want to type out or hardcode your plaintext password every time, you can authorize your specific terminal user to run that command without a password.

1. Open your terminal manually once and edit the sudoers file:

sudo visudo

2. Add the following line at the absolute bottom of the file (replace your_username and the path to your specific Arduino CLI tool):

your_username ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /path/to/arduino-cli

3. Save and close the file. Copilot will now run the command flawlessly because it will never trigger a password challenge.

---

3. The 1-Second Immediate Manual Workaround

If you just want to clear the block right this second without editing config files:

• Manually run the command yourself in the standard interactive VS Code terminal.
• Type the password to finish the authentication.
• Hand control back over to Autopilot for the rest of your session.

Note: If your workflow connects to the board over a remote network rather than locally, switching your device connection from password authentication to SSH Key-based authentication (ssh-copy-id) will also permanently clear this error.