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Security audit

codex-mcp-dev

Security checks for vulnerabilities and agentic risk

Overview

This skill is a disclosed helper for delegating local coding tasks to Codex through MCP, with meaningful power to change a repository but no evidence of hidden, deceptive, or unrelated behavior.

Install this only if you want an OpenClaw agent to delegate real repository work to your local Codex setup. Review prompts before using full-auto, set --cwd to the intended project, avoid --yolo or danger-full-access unless explicitly needed, and inspect diffs/tests after each run.

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
  • Excessive AgencyUnrestricted Tool Access, Autonomous Decision Making, Scope Creep
  • Trigger AbuseOverly Broad Trigger, Shadow Command Trigger, Keyword Baiting Trigger
  • Behavioral ASTexec() Call, eval() Call, Dynamic Import
  • MCP Least PrivilegeUnderdeclared Capability, Wildcard Permission, Missing Permission Declaration
  • Prompt InjectionInstruction Override, Hidden Instructions, Exfiltration Commands
Findings (5)

Undeclared Tool Scope

Medium
Category
MCP Least Privilege
Confidence
92% confidence
Finding

The skill invokes shell commands and enables local code/tool execution but does not declare any explicit tool scope such as allowed-tools or permissions. That makes the capability boundary implicit, which increases the chance that an agent or reviewer underestimates what the skill can do and allows broader execution than intended.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Vague Triggers

Medium
Category
Not specified by scanner
Confidence
93% confidence
Finding

The description is broadly worded to activate on many common software-development requests, which can cause this powerful skill to be selected by default even when a simpler or safer approach would suffice. In context, that increases exposure to autonomous shell use and code modification across routine tasks.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Missing User Warnings

Medium
Category
Not specified by scanner
Confidence
95% confidence
Finding

The skill explicitly recommends ask --full-auto for implementation, refactoring, and test-writing, which authorizes autonomous repository modification. Although the document later suggests validation, it does not provide a prominent warning that this mode can change files and execute actions in the target repo, creating a meaningful risk of unintended or unsafe changes.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Unbounded Resource Access

Medium
Category
Excessive Agency
Confidence
82% confidence
Finding

The helper allows timeout=None, which permits child processes to run indefinitely. In this skill's context, the script brokers requests to local development tools that may perform expensive or hanging operations, so an unbounded call can tie up the agent, consume resources, or stall automation pipelines.

Content

Scanner excerpt · scripts/codex_mcp.py (reported line 31)May include surrounding context.

python
def run(cmd: list[str], *, timeout_ms: int | None = None) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess[str]:
    timeout = None if timeout_ms is None else max(1, timeout_ms / 1000)
    return subprocess.run(cmd, text=True, capture_output=True, timeout=timeout)

subprocess module call

Medium
Category
Dangerous Code Execution
Confidence
70% confidence
Finding

subprocess module calls execute external commands. Without careful input validation, this enables command injection.

Content

Scanner excerpt · scripts/codex_mcp.py (reported line 32)May include surrounding context.

python
def run(cmd: list[str], *, timeout_ms: int | None = None) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess[str]:
    timeout = None if timeout_ms is None else max(1, timeout_ms / 1000)
    return subprocess.run(cmd, text=True, capture_output=True, timeout=timeout)


def require_binary(name: str) -> str:

Static analysis

No suspicious patterns detected.