CipherVault
Secure. Encrypted. Remote.
Access your files from anywhere — encrypted, strictly read-only, and always in your control. A personal encrypted remote file vault client integrated natively into Visual Studio Code via vscode.FileSystemProvider (personal-vault:/).
Access, browse, preview, and export source code and documents from your primary host computer to any remote or shared workstation (Windows or Linux) without third-party cloud storage, paid subscriptions, or VPNs.
Features
- Strictly Read-Only Remote Access: Files open in read-only editor tabs with syntax highlighting. Remote client operations cannot modify, overwrite, rename, or delete files stored in the host vault.
- Ephemeral In-Memory Credentials: Session tokens are stored strictly in volatile memory. Tokens are automatically revoked and zeroed upon manual lock, idle timeout, or VS Code shutdown. Master passwords are never written to disk or extension storage.
- Local Workspace Exporting: Right-click context-menu actions enable you to Copy File Content directly to the clipboard or Export File to Local Workspace to continue normal local development on your client machine.
- Zero Cost & Free Remote Connectivity: Connects over encrypted HTTPS endpoints (such as Cloudflare Quick Tunnels) to your self-hosted vault daemon running on loopback (
127.0.0.1:8743).
- Zero Telemetry: Completely private; collects no analytics, telemetry, or user data.
Requirements
To access your vault remotely using this extension, you must have:
- Visual Studio Code (v1.90.0 or later) on your client workstation (Windows or Linux).
- Personal Vault Host Daemon running on your host computer (e.g. your home laptop) with an active HTTPS tunnel (such as Cloudflare Quick Tunnel
*.trycloudflare.com).
- Your vault's secret Master Password.
Quick-Start Guide
- Open VS Code Settings (
Ctrl+, on Windows/Linux or Cmd+, on macOS).
- Search for
personalVault.serverUrl.
- Set the URL to your host's active HTTPS tunnel address (for example:
https://your-tunnel-id.trycloudflare.com).
- (Optional) Adjust
personalVault.idleTimeoutMinutes (default: 15 minutes).
2. Connect & Unlock
- Click the Personal Vault icon in the Activity Bar (left sidebar) or click
$(lock) Vault: Locked in the bottom Status Bar.
- Select Personal Vault: Connect & Unlock Vault.
- Enter your Master Password in the secure masked input prompt.
- Once verified, the status bar displays
$(unlock) Vault: Connected and your files appear in the Remote Vault Explorer.
Working with Files Remotely
- Browse: Expand folders in the Remote Vault Explorer tree view.
- Preview / Read: Click any file to open it in a read-only editor.
- Copy Content: Right-click a file in the explorer and select Personal Vault: Copy File Content to Clipboard.
- Export Locally: Right-click a file and select Personal Vault: Export File to Local Workspace.... Choose a local directory to save the file and continue editing locally.
- Lock / Disconnect: Click
$(unlock) Vault: Connected in the status bar or run Personal Vault: Lock & Disconnect Vault. This immediately invalidates the server session token and purges credentials from client memory.
Shared-Computer Security & Hygiene
[!WARNING]
When using this extension on shared, public, or lab computers:
- Decrypted Editor Buffers: When you open a file, its plaintext content resides in VS Code's active memory buffer.
- Clipboard History: Operating system clipboard managers (e.g. Windows
Win+V) retain copied text. Always clear clipboard history before leaving the machine.
- Local Working Copies: If you export files locally to work on them, remember to delete your local working files when your session is complete.
- Host Power State: The host computer must remain powered on, awake, and connected to the internet. If the host sleeps or loses network, connection timeouts will occur.
- Always Lock: Always lock the vault and close Visual Studio Code completely before leaving a shared workstation.
Extension Settings
This extension contributes the following configuration settings:
personalVault.serverUrl: The HTTPS endpoint of your vault daemon (default: http://127.0.0.1:8743).personalVault.idleTimeoutMinutes: Inactivity timeout before automatically locking the vault and clearing session tokens (default: 15 minutes).
License
Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved. See LICENSE for details.
