[BUG] Paste/drag-and-drop of images into chat input fails silently (VS Code extension)

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
• [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
• [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

Environment

• Claude Code for VS Code extension: v2.1.226 (latest on marketplace)
• VS Code: 1.111.0
• macOS, Apple Silicon (arm64)

Bug
Pasting a screenshot (copied via Cmd+Ctrl+Shift+4) into the Claude Code
chat input panel fails: the input shows a placeholder like "[Image #1]"
but no actual image is attached/sent. Drag-and-drop of a saved image file
into the same input also fails with the same symptom.

What I ruled out while investigating

• Not a clipboard problem: the same clipboard content pastes correctly

into Pages, Mail, and Claude Desktop immediately after the failed
paste attempt in Claude Code's panel.

• Not related to GitHub Copilot Chat: uninstalling and reinstalling

it made no difference; pasting into Copilot Chat's own panel works
fine throughout.

• Not a stale extension/cache issue: reproduced after a full VS Code

window reload, a full quit/reopen, and after resetting the workspace's
state.vscdb.

• Not an outdated extension: already on the latest marketplace version.
• Confirmed a saved file under

.../Code/User/workspaceStorage/<hash>/vscode-chat-images/ from a
paste attempt fails to open in VS Code's own image viewer
("An error occurred while loading the image"), suggesting the panel
may be writing a malformed file from the pasted clipboard data.

Steps to reproduce

1. Copy a screenshot to clipboard (Cmd+Ctrl+Shift+4)
2. Open the Claude Code chat panel in VS Code
3. Paste (Cmd+V) into the input box
4. Observe: "[Image #N]" placeholder text appears, but no image renders

and it isn't actually sent/attached when the message is submitted

What Should Happen?

Pasting a screenshot (Cmd+Ctrl+Shift+4, copied to clipboard) into the
Claude Code chat input should attach the actual image and display a
thumbnail/preview in the input box, then send it as a real image
attachment when the message is submitted — the same way it works when
pasting into Claude Desktop, Mail, or GitHub Copilot Chat's own panel.

Drag-and-dropping a saved image file into the input box should behave
the same way: the image should attach and render correctly, not just
insert a "[Image #N]" text placeholder with no actual image data behind it.

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

Steps to reproduce

1. Copy a screenshot to clipboard (Cmd+Ctrl+Shift+4)
2. Open the Claude Code chat panel in VS Code
3. Paste (Cmd+V) into the input box
4. Observe: "[Image #N]" placeholder text appears, but no image renders

and it isn't actually sent/attached when the message is submitted

Claude Model

Sonnet (default)

Is this a regression?

I don't know

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.1.226

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

VS Code integrated terminal

Additional Information

_No response_