T08 · Insecure Dependencies
- Location
SKILL.md:13- Finding
Unpinned System-Wide Dependency Installation
- Content
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Vulnerability Details
File Location:
SKILL.md, lines 13–14
Vulnerability Type: Unpinned dependencies and unsafe system-wide package installation
Risk Level: MediumComplete Code Snippet:
bash pip install --break-system-packages python-docx openpyxl python-pptx pypdf sudo apt install libreoffice-writer libreoffice-calc libreoffice-impress pandocTechnical Analysis
The installation instructions do not pin Python or operating-system package versions and do not verify package hashes. Consequently, the installed code depends on mutable upstream package repositories rather than a reviewed, reproducible dependency set.
The
--break-system-packagesoption explicitly bypasses Python's externally managed environment protection and permits modification of the host's system Python environment. This can overwrite or conflict with packages used by other applications. Thesudo apt installcommand additionally performs privileged host-level changes, although no malicious package source or deliberate privilege-escalation mechanism was found in the audited files.Exploitation depends on a dependency source being compromised, a malicious release being published under a resolved package name, or an unexpected upstream version introducing harmful installation or runtime behavior.
Attack Path
- An Agent or user follows the environment setup instructions.
pipresolves the latest available releases because no versions or hashes are specified.- A compromised or unexpectedly changed package is downloaded from the configured package index.
- Package installation logic executes and modifies the system Python environment because
--break-system-packagesis enabled. - Malicious or vulnerable dependency code may subsequently execute when the document-processing libraries are imported or used.
- Separately, the
sudo apt installinstruction installs host-level packages with administrative privile ...[truncated 716 chars]
- Remediation
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Remediation Suggestions
- Create and use a dedicated virtual environment rather than modifying the system Python installation.
- Remove
--break-system-packagesfrom the installation command. - Pin every Python dependency to a reviewed version in a requirements or lock file.
- Use hash verification, such as
pip install --require-hashes -r requirements.txt, with reviewed hashes. - Perform dependency vulnerability and provenance checks before publication and on every update.
- Require explicit user approval before installing operating-system packages with
sudo. - Pin OS package versions where operationally practical and use only trusted, authenticated repositories.
- Update
_meta.jsonto declare the required binaries accurately, because it currently reports an emptyanyBinarieslist despite the documented reliance on Pandoc and LibreOffice.