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Security audit

Perplexity Search

Security checks for vulnerabilities and agentic risk

Overview

This is a narrow Perplexity/AIsa search skill that sends user queries to AIsa using an API key, which is disclosed and matches its stated purpose.

Install this only if you intend to use AIsa/Perplexity Sonar from your agent. Do not submit secrets, private documents, regulated data, or internal prompts unless you are comfortable sending that content to api.aisa.one under your AIsa account.

Vulnerability Patterns
  • Skill Instruction HijackingAlters the agent's session goals or safety constraints when the skill loads
  • Agent Memory PoisoningWrites attacker-controlled rules into memory that affect later sessions
  • Remote Payload Retrieval and ExecutionFetches external code whose behavior can change after review
  • Embedded Malicious CodeShips malicious scripts inside the skill and executes them locally
  • Unauthorized Access and Privilege EscalationObtains permissions beyond the task's legitimate needs
Vulnerability Patterns
  • Data ExfiltrationExternal Transmission, Env Variable Harvesting, File System Enumeration
  • MCP Least PrivilegeUnderdeclared Capability, Wildcard Permission, Missing Permission Declaration
  • Prompt InjectionInstruction Override, Hidden Instructions, Exfiltration Commands
  • Privilege EscalationExcessive Permissions, Sudo/Root Execution, Credential Access
  • Supply ChainUnpinned Dependencies, External Script Fetching, Obfuscated Code
Findings (8)

Undeclared Tool Scope

Medium
Category
MCP Least Privilege
Confidence
90% confidence
Finding

The skill explicitly requires environment access to AISA_API_KEY and performs outbound network requests, but it does not declare a restrictive tool scope such as permissions or allowed-tools. In an agent ecosystem, missing scope declarations weakens policy enforcement and can let the skill run with broader capabilities than intended.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

External Transmission

Medium
Category
Data Exfiltration
Confidence
60% confidence
Finding

Data is being sent to an external URL. This could be legitimate telemetry or data exfiltration. Manual review is recommended.

Content

Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 47)May include surrounding context.

--system "Respond in markdown with an executive summary first."

text

## Curl Examples

### Sonar

External Transmission

Medium
Category
Data Exfiltration
Confidence
87% confidence
Finding

The skill sends user-supplied content to an external service at api.aisa.one using a bearer token from the environment. While this is the core function of the skill, it is still a real data-exfiltration boundary because prompts, system instructions, and potentially sensitive user data are transmitted off-platform.

Content

Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 52)May include surrounding context.

Sonar

bash
curl -X POST "https://api.aisa.one/apis/v1/perplexity/sonar" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $AISA_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{

External Transmission

Medium
Category
Data Exfiltration
Confidence
87% confidence
Finding

This example shows another external POST to the same third-party API with user content and authorization headers. Even though it is functionally intended, the transmission creates confidentiality and compliance risk if an agent forwards sensitive prompts or embedded data without strong disclosure and scope controls.

Content

Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 66)May include surrounding context.

Sonar Pro

bash
curl -X POST "https://api.aisa.one/apis/v1/perplexity/sonar-pro" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $AISA_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{

External Transmission

Medium
Category
Data Exfiltration
Confidence
87% confidence
Finding

The reasoning-pro endpoint similarly transmits prompt content to an external API, increasing the chance that lengthy analytical prompts contain proprietary or sensitive information. The skill context makes the behavior expected, but not harmless, because the data flow crosses a trust boundary.

Content

Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 80)May include surrounding context.

Sonar Reasoning Pro

bash
curl -X POST "https://api.aisa.one/apis/v1/perplexity/sonar-reasoning-pro" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $AISA_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{

External Transmission

Medium
Category
Data Exfiltration
Confidence
89% confidence
Finding

The deep-research endpoint is especially sensitive because it encourages long-form research requests, which may include larger volumes of proprietary context or internal documents in the prompt. That makes this external transmission more dangerous than a short query, despite being consistent with the skill's intended purpose.

Content

Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 94)May include surrounding context.

Sonar Deep Research

bash
curl -X POST "https://api.aisa.one/apis/v1/perplexity/sonar-deep-research" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $AISA_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{

External Transmission

Medium
Category
Data Exfiltration
Confidence
60% confidence
Finding

Data is being sent to an external URL. This could be legitimate telemetry or data exfiltration. Manual review is recommended.

Content

Scanner excerpt · scripts/perplexity_search_client.py (reported line 25)May include surrounding context.

python
class PerplexitySearchClient:
    """Minimal client for AIsa Perplexity Sonar endpoints."""

    BASE_URL = "https://api.aisa.one/apis/v1"

    def __init__(self, api_key: Optional[str] = None):
        self.api_key = api_key or os.environ.get("AISA_API_KEY")

Missing User Warnings

Medium
Category
Not specified by scanner
Confidence
93% confidence
Finding

This code packages the user's query and optional system instruction into a request body and sends it to an external HTTPS endpoint. Although the file is a network client by purpose, there is no explicit disclosure in code comments, help text, or runtime output that user-provided content will be transmitted to a remote service.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Static analysis

No suspicious patterns detected.