T08 · Insecure Dependencies
- Location
references/technical_specs.md:122- Finding
Unpinned Third-Party Dependency Installation
- Content
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Vulnerability Details
File Location:
references/technical_specs.md, lines 122–129
Vulnerability Type: Unpinned third-party dependencies and global package installation
Risk Level: MediumVulnerable Code
bash npm install -g mcporterbash pip install python-docxTechnical Analysis
The documented installation commands retrieve third-party packages without exact version constraints, lockfiles, or integrity verification. Consequently, the artifacts installed depend on whichever package versions the registries serve at installation time rather than versions reviewed with this project.
The
mcporterpackage is also installed globally through npm's-goption. This expands the package's reach beyond an isolated project environment and may expose its executable entry points to unrelated workflows. Depending on the user's npm configuration, installation scripts and package code execute with that user's permissions.The Python dependency is likewise unpinned. No hash-locked requirements file or other mechanism in the reviewed project establishes the expected package artifact or verifies its integrity.
This finding represents supply-chain exposure rather than evidence that either named package is currently malicious.
Attack Path
- An attacker compromises a named package, one of its transitive dependencies, or a future package release available through the configured registry.
- A user follows the documented installation instructions.
- The package manager resolves and downloads the attacker-controlled version because no exact reviewed version or integrity hash is specified.
- Package installation hooks, executable entry points, or subsequently imported package code run under the installing user's account.
- In the global npm case, the compromised package can remain available on the user's command path and may affect workflows outside this project.
Impact Assessment
Successful exploitation could execute arbit ...[truncated 567 chars]
- Remediation
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Remediation Suggestions
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Pin every direct dependency to an exact, reviewed version.
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Add and commit package-manager lockfiles containing resolved transitive versions and integrity metadata.
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Replace global npm installation with a project-local dependency and invoke it through a project-scoped runner.
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Use
npm ciagainst a committed lockfile rather than resolving the latest available release during installation. -
Install Python dependencies in a dedicated virtual environment.
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Maintain a hash-locked Python requirements file and install with hash verification, for example:
bash python -m venv .venv . .venv/bin/activate python -m pip install --require-hashes -r requirements.txt -
Document the expected official registries and package provenance, and reject unapproved registry overrides.
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Review package installation scripts and transitive dependencies before updating pinned versions.
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Integrate dependency vulnerability and provenance scanning into the release process.
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