Power is part of the product
Language servers launch processes. Cloud extensions make network requests. Formatters read and write files. These behaviors define useful developer tooling, but they also define the extension's blast radius.
A scanner that labels every privileged API as malicious produces noise. A scanner that ignores those APIs cannot explain what the extension could do after installation.
The evidence ladder
GUARDRAILS records an isolated capability as context. Evidence becomes actionable when it adds untrusted input, a sensitive sink, lifecycle execution, evasion, an unexpected destination, or authoritative malicious intelligence.
This distinction is why REVIEW exists separately from BLOCK. Review asks whether behavior matches publisher intent. Block says the exact artifact crossed a policy boundary.
What reviewers should demand
The finding must identify the exact artifact, version, file, rule, evidence class, and expected verification step. Reputation can add context, but it cannot erase executable evidence or prove that future releases are safe.