T09 · Insecure Skill Coding Practices
Warning
- Location
SKILL.md:32- Finding
Plaintext API Key Persistence Without Enforced File Protection
- Content
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Vulnerability Details
File Location:
SKILL.md, lines 32-40
Vulnerability Type: Plaintext sensitive-data storage
Risk Level: MediumVulnerable Code Snippet
markdown 6. Resolve credentials only from `api_key` in the directory containing this `SKILL.md`. Read its first non-empty line. Do not inspect environment variables or any other local path. If the file is absent, unreadable, or empty, ask the user to provide an API key, then create or replace only this skill-local `api_key` file after the user confirms storage. Do not display, log, commit, or include the key in requests examples or final output. 7. Before uploading a document to ComPDF, identify the affected files and destination, and obtain confirmation unless the user has explicitly authorized that upload. Also obtain confirmation before operations that overwrite, delete, decrypt, or apply permanent protection. 8. Return the endpoint, method, content type, complete request fields, expected task/result fields, and the next polling or download step. Preserve original files unless replacement is explicitly requested. ## Credentials Store only the current skill's API key in the sibling `api_key` file. This file is private runtime state and must be excluded from version control and skill publishing. To obtain an API key, register or sign in at [ComPDF Portal](https://www.compdf.com/compdf-portal/signin?utm_source=clawhub&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=compdf_skills_repo_en&ref_platform_id=clawhub_compdfkit_skills_en). On first use, provide the key when requested and confirm storing it in the skill-local `api_key` file; later requests reuse that stored key.Technical Analysis
The Skill instructs the agent to persist a ComPDF API key in a plaintext file named
api_key. Although it states that the file is private and must not be committed or published, it does not require owner-only permissions, atomic file creation, symlink protection ...[truncated 1666 chars]- Remediation
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Remediation Suggestions
- Prefer an operating-system credential store or dedicated secret manager rather than a plaintext project file.
- If file storage is unavoidable, create the file atomically with owner-only permissions such as
0600; do not rely solely on the ambientumask. - Verify that the destination is a regular file owned by the expected user, and reject symbolic links or other special files before writing.
- Write to a securely created temporary file in the same directory, flush it, set restrictive permissions, and atomically rename it into place.
- Add
api_keyto an included.gitignoreand to all packaging or publishing exclusion configurations. - Add a pre-commit or pre-publish secret scan that blocks artifacts containing the credential file.
- Document credential rotation and revocation procedures for suspected exposure.
- Continue prohibiting display, logging, and inclusion of the key in request examples or final output.