T09 · Insecure Skill Coding Practices
Error
- Location
- SKILL.md:18
- Finding
- Bearer Credentials May Be Transmitted over an Unencrypted Development Endpoint## Vulnerability Details **File Location**: `SKILL.md`, lines 18–23 **Vulnerability Type**: Plaintext transmission of sensitive API credentials **Risk Level**: High ### Vulnerable Code ```bash API_BASE=https://botknows.com/api # For development: API_BASE=http://182.92.148.42:8000/api ``` ```text All requests use: `Authorization: Bearer $BOTKNOWS_API_KEY` ``` ### Technical Analysis The skill documents a development API endpoint that uses plaintext HTTP and a raw IP address while also instructing clients to include a bearer API key in all requests. HTTP does not provide transport encryption, message integrity, or authenticated server identity. If an agent or user selects the documented development endpoint, the `Authorization` header, request bodies, and server responses can be observed or modified by an attacker with a suitable network position. Because bearer credentials are reusable by possession alone, interception can lead directly to credential replay. This guidance also conflicts with the security instruction later in `SKILL.md` that API keys must only be sent to `botknows.com`; the development endpoint is `182.92.148.42`, not that hostname. ### Attack Path 1. A user or agent configures `API_BASE` as the documented development endpoint: `http://182.92.148.42:8000/api`. 2. The agent invokes one of the documented API operations and attaches either the user API key or bot API key in an `Authorization: Bearer ...` header. 3. A network-positioned attacker, such as an actor on the same untrusted network or an intermediary on the route, captures the plaintext HTTP request. 4. The attacker extracts the reusable bearer credential and may also inspect or alter request and response content. 5. The attacker replays the stolen credential against API endpoints available to that key until the credential is revoked or expires. ### Impact Assessment The exact impact depends on which key is intercepted and the permissions enforced by the remote service. - The ...[truncated 534 chars]
- Remediation
- ## Remediation Suggestions 1. Remove the plaintext development endpoint from the published skill documentation. 2. Require HTTPS for every API base URL, including development and staging environments. 3. Use a valid DNS hostname with a certificate issued by a trusted certificate authority rather than a raw IP address. 4. Add explicit guidance that clients must reject API base URLs whose scheme is not `https`. 5. Enforce an allowlist of approved BotKnows hostnames before attaching either user or bot authorization headers. 6. Never follow cross-origin redirects while retaining an `Authorization` header. 7. If the endpoint was previously used with real credentials, rotate the affected keys and review associated account and bot activity. 8. For local development, use an HTTPS-enabled local proxy or ensure credentials are synthetic, scoped to testing, short-lived, and unusable in production.