Copilot app security extension: what to allow first

A security extension for the Copilot app entered public preview on Oct. 28, 2026. It lists a repository's open code scanning findings inside the app, explains or patches the ones you select in your local working copy, and adds a /security-review command for changes you haven't pushed yet. For Business and Enterprise administrators, the decision is whether to allow the github-security plugin and for which teams.

The main limit is what a patch does. The docs say Fix "changes your local working copy only" and does not commit, push or open a pull request, and a local edit does not close the finding. It closes only after the change reaches the affected branch and the scan runs again. Dismissing is different: it updates the server right away.

What does the GitHub security extension for the Copilot app do?

It puts scan findings and a pre-PR security review into the same session where developers already work. According to the changelog, the extension adds a Security canvas where you can:

• browse every open finding, ordered by severity, with search and filters
• open a finding's details and affected lines, or jump to its full page on the website
• select one or more and click Explain or Fix
• see pull requests already linked to an item, so two people don't patch the same thing
• dismiss items you don't plan to address
• run /security-review on your current changes and see the results next to existing findings

The documentation page adds one scope detail: the extension shows static analysis results only, "not Dependabot or secret scanning alerts."

Fixes stay local; dismissals reach GitHub

The extension splits its actions into two groups, and that split decides how much review it needs.

Local actions. Explain, Fix and /security-review run in the agent session on your machine. Fix edits files and stops there. You review the diff, run your tests, then commit and push through your normal review process. The docs call the local review "a focused review of your changes, not a full repository security audit or a replacement for code scanning," and its results are stored separately from the scan's list.

Actions that change the server. Dismissing closes the item on the website, with a reason and a comment. If your organization uses delegated dismissal and your role needs approval, the extension submits a dismissal request instead, and the item stays open until an authorized reviewer approves it.

The extension's tools also follow the app's tool permission settings, so if your developers must approve tool use today, the agent asks before using these tools too.

What do you need to use it?

Less than you might expect for the local review, and more for remediation. The requirements:

Scroll sideways to see all 2 columns.

What you want	What it needs
Install the extension and run /security-review	Any Copilot plan and the app. No scanning setup or Code Security license needed
Business or Enterprise seats	An administrator must enable the app policy; enterprise managed settings can control which plugins developers install
See, patch and dismiss existing findings	Code scanning enabled, permission to view the results, and Code Security for private repositories
Hosting	github.com or Enterprise Cloud with data residency. Enterprise Server isn't supported

Install it with copilot plugin install github-security@awesome-copilot, or in the app under Customize by searching for github-security. The extension is enabled automatically after install.

How does it compare with agentic autofix?

They attack the same backlog from opposite ends. Agentic autofix, generally available since Oct. 15, runs in the cloud: you assign a default-branch item (or up to 25 at once) to the agent, it reruns CodeQL to check its change and opens a draft PR. An earlier post covered how to scope that first assignment.

Scroll sideways to see all 3 columns.

Comparison dimension	Security extension (Copilot app)	Agentic autofix
Where the change happens	Developer's local working copy	Cloud agent
Output	Uncommitted local changes	Draft PR
How the item closes	After the change reaches the branch and the scan runs again	The agent reruns CodeQL before opening the PR, which you then merge
Status	Public preview	Generally available
Who enables it	Copilot app policy and plugin settings	Enterprise "Agentic autofix" policy, then org or repo settings
Billing	AI credits like any other prompt	Code Security AI credits and Actions minutes

BaristaLabs' interpretation: the extension fits findings a developer is already close to, such as issues in files they are changing this week. The cloud option fits a default-branch backlog nobody owns. Running both is reasonable, but the linked PR view matters, because an item assigned to the cloud agent can also be picked up locally.

Who should allow it first?

Teams that already scan, or that are trying AI Scan on pull requests, get the most from it, because the findings list is already there. Teams without scanning can still use /security-review, but the docs are clear that it isn't a replacement, so treat it as an extra check before opening a PR.

Hold off if your organization hasn't decided on the Copilot app itself. The app has its own policy and account settings; see how it can separate the license account from the repository account.

Why it matters for small engineering teams

For a small team, the cost of each finding is mostly the switch between the web page and the editor, and the time spent understanding an unfamiliar rule. The extension removes that switch and makes an explanation one click away. BaristaLabs' interpretation: that should shorten remediation time for routine issues, but it doesn't remove the review step, because the patch arrives as plain local edits and the item stays open until the branch is scanned again.

The cost is AI credits. Explain, Fix and /security-review "consume AI credits in the same way as any other prompt," using the model selected in the app, while browsing and dismissing don't use AI. No per-item cost is published.

Recommended first step

BaristaLabs recommends allowing the github-security plugin for one team on one repository that already has scanning enabled. Keep tool approval on, turn on delegated dismissal if you want a second person to approve dismissals, and ask developers to rerun /security-review before each PR in that repository. After two weeks, compare items closed and AI credits used against the ones handled by the cloud agent or by hand, then decide whether to widen the plugin allowlist.

For help choosing between these paths, see AI consulting.

Sources and scope

• Changelog, Security extension for the GitHub Copilot app, Oct. 28, 2026.
• Docs, Viewing and fixing security alerts in the GitHub Copilot app, read Oct. 29, 2026.
• Changelog, Agentic autofix for code scanning alerts is now generally available, Oct. 15, 2026.

These sources describe a public preview that is subject to change. They don't give per-item AI credit costs or quality figures, and BaristaLabs has not run the extension for this post.