T08 · Insecure Dependencies
Note
- Location
- SKILL.md:44
- Finding
- Unpinned and Unnecessary Third-Party Dependency Installation## Vulnerability Details **File Location**: `SKILL.md`, lines 44–49 **Vulnerability Type**: Unpinned third-party dependency installation **Risk Level**: Low **Complete Code Snippet**: ```bash python3 -m venv .venv . .venv/bin/activate python -m pip install requests ``` ### Technical Analysis The installation instruction retrieves the latest available version of `requests` and its transitive dependencies without version constraints or package hashes. Consequently, installations are not reproducible, and the package set can change after the Skill has been reviewed. Compromise of the package registry, a dependency release, or a maintainer account could cause users following this instruction to install attacker-controlled code. Python packages can execute code during installation or when imported. The dependency also appears unnecessary for the shipped implementation: `scripts/prepare_ocr_request.py` only imports Python standard-library modules (`argparse`, `json`, and `pathlib`) and does not make network requests. Requiring `requests` therefore expands the supply-chain attack surface beyond the minimum needed for the Skill's implemented request-preparation functionality. No evidence indicates that the current `requests` package is malicious. The risk arises from unconstrained future dependency resolution and the unnecessary installation requirement. ### Attack Path 1. An attacker compromises a future `requests` release, one of its transitive dependencies, or the relevant package-distribution channel. 2. A user follows the documented prerequisite and runs `python -m pip install requests`. 3. Pip resolves and downloads the compromised version because no approved version or hash is enforced. 4. Attacker-controlled package code executes during installation or later package use with the privileges of the invoking user. 5. The malicious code may access files, environment variables, credentials available to that user, and n ...[truncated 738 chars]
- Remediation
- ## Remediation Suggestions 1. Remove the `requests` installation prerequisite if the Skill remains limited to generating local JSON request payloads. 2. If future functionality genuinely requires `requests`, declare an audited version and all transitive dependencies in a lock file. 3. Require cryptographic package hashes, for example: ```bash python -m pip install --require-hashes -r requirements.txt ``` 4. Generate the locked dependency set from a trusted index and review dependency updates before adoption. 5. Keep installation inside an isolated virtual environment and explicitly warn users not to run pip with administrative privileges. 6. Document that credential files and API keys are only required by a separate API client, because the current request-preparation script does not access them.