T09 · Insecure Skill Coding Practices
- Location
scripts/security_scan.py:120- Finding
Security Scan Fails Open Because Findings Do Not Produce a Nonzero Exit Status
- Content
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Vulnerability Details
File Location:
scripts/security_scan.py, lines 120-154
Vulnerability Type: Fail-open security control caused by incorrect process exit-status handling
Risk Level: HighVulnerable Code
python def main(): if len(sys.argv) < 2: print("Security Scanner - Scan Python code before publishing") print("\nUsage: security_scan.py <file_or_directory>") print("\nChecks for:") print(" • Dangerous imports (os, subprocess, etc.)") print(" • Dangerous functions (eval, exec, system)") print(" • Hardcoded secrets/tokens") print(" • Unsafe file operations") return target = Path(sys.argv[1]) print(f"\n🔒 Security Scan: {target}") print("=" * 60) if target.is_file(): issues = scan_file(target) if issues: print(f"\n⚠️ Found {len(issues)} issue(s):\n") for issue in issues: print(issue) else: print("\n✅ No security issues found") elif target.is_dir(): all_issues = scan_directory(target) total_issues = sum(len(file_issues) for _, file_issues in all_issues) print("\n" + "=" * 60) if total_issues > 0: print(f"\n⚠️ Found {total_issues} total issue(s) across {len(all_issues)} file(s)") else: print("\n✅ All clear - No security issues found") else: print(f"Error: {target} is not a valid file or directory") if __name__ == "__main__": main()Technical Analysis
The scanner reports findings only through console output. It never returns a nonzero result from
main()and does not pass a result tosys.exit(). Consequently, the Python interpreter terminates with exit status0in all of the following situations:- Dangerous patterns or possible secrets are detected.
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- Remediation
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Remediation Suggestions
Refactor
main()to return explicit status codes and terminate throughsys.exit(main()). Exit status0should be reserved exclusively for a completed scan with no findings.Recommended status policy:
0: Scan completed and no issues were found.1: One or more security findings were detected.2: Invalid invocation, invalid target, unreadable input, or another operational scanning error.
Example hardened structure:
python def main(): if len(sys.argv) != 2: print("Usage: security_scan.py <file_or_directory>", file=sys.stderr) return 2 target = Path(sys.argv[1]) if target.is_file(): issues = scan_file(target) if issues: for issue in issues: print(issue) return 1 return 0 if target.is_dir(): all_issues = scan_directory(target) total_issues = sum(len(file_issues) for _, file_issues in all_issues) return 1 if total_issues else 0 print(f"Error: {target} is not a valid file or directory", file=sys.stderr) return 2 if __name__ == "__main__": sys.exit(main())Operational errors should be represented separately from security findings rather than being returned as ordinary finding strings. Add subprocess-based regression tests that assert the expected exit status for:
- A clean Python file.
- A file containing a recognized dangerous pattern.
- A directory containing at least one flagged file.
- A nonexistent target.
- Missing command-line arguments.
- An unreadable or otherwise unscannable file.
The documented pre-commit and publication examples should then retain fail-closed handling and abort on every nonzero status.