T08 · Insecure Dependencies
Warning
- Location
- SKILL.md:20
- Finding
- Unpinned Third-Party Package Installation and Execution## Vulnerability Details **File Location**: `SKILL.md`, lines 20-27 **Vulnerability Type**: Unpinned and unverified executable dependencies **Risk Level**: Medium ### Evidence ```bash # Install via npm (recommended) npx ironprose --help # Or install via cargo cargo install ironprose-cli ``` ### Technical Analysis The documented installation methods resolve third-party packages without specifying an exact version, checksum, lockfile, or other integrity constraint. Running `npx ironprose --help` may download and immediately execute the currently resolved npm package. Similarly, `cargo install ironprose-cli` retrieves and builds the package version selected from the registry. Because the package source is mutable independently of the reviewed skill, future installations may execute code that was not present or assessed during this audit. Exploitation would require compromise of the relevant package, publisher account, registry, or dependency chain. The project contains no local implementation or integrity metadata with which to verify the installed executable. ### Attack Path 1. An attacker compromises the `ironprose` npm package, the `ironprose-cli` Cargo package, a publisher account, or a transitive dependency. 2. The attacker publishes a malicious version that can be selected by the unpinned installation command. 3. An agent or user follows the installation instructions in `SKILL.md`. 4. The package manager downloads the mutable package release. 5. The downloaded package or compiled binary executes with the permissions of the user running the command. 6. Malicious code can access resources available to that user, subject to operating-system controls. ### Impact Assessment Successful exploitation could permit arbitrary code execution under the invoking user's account. This may expose files, environment variables, credentials, and network resources accessible to that account. It could also allow modification of ...[truncated 252 chars]
- Remediation
- ## Remediation Suggestions - Pin each dependency to a specific, reviewed version rather than implicitly selecting the latest available release. - Publish and verify cryptographic checksums or signed release artifacts. - For Cargo installation, use an exact version and locked dependency resolution where supported, such as `cargo install --version <reviewed-version> --locked ironprose-cli`. - For npm, avoid combining first-time retrieval with execution. Install an exact reviewed version, verify package integrity and provenance, and execute it only after validation. - Maintain lockfiles or equivalent reproducible dependency manifests for any distributed wrapper or installation process. - Add automated dependency and publisher-provenance monitoring. - Run the CLI in a sandbox with only the manuscript files and network access strictly necessary for its documented function.