Instagram Reels Search API

• Outcome: Review
• Latest audit: Sep 16, 2026 · 7:29 AM UTC
• Version: 1.0.0

Overview

This skill does the advertised Instagram Reels search, but it handles the API token in a way that can leak it through command arguments and URL query logs.

Review this before installing if the JustOneAPI token has billing, quota, or broad account authority. Prefer a version that uses secure secret storage and an Authorization header, or use a short-lived, low-scope token and rotate it if it may have appeared in process lists or URL logs.

A.I.G

Vulnerability Patterns

• Insecure Skill Coding Practices: Finds exploitable flaws such as hardcoded secrets or command injection
• Skill Instruction Hijacking: Alters the agent's session goals or safety constraints when the skill loads
• Agent Memory Poisoning: Writes attacker-controlled rules into memory that affect later sessions
• Remote Payload Retrieval and Execution: Fetches external code whose behavior can change after review
• Embedded Malicious Code: Ships malicious scripts inside the skill and executes them locally

Findings (1)

T09 · Insecure Skill Coding Practices

Warning

• Location: bin/run.mjs:22

Finding

API Credential Exposed Through URL Query Parameters and Command-Line Arguments

Content

View full analysis

Vulnerability Details

File Location: bin/run.mjs:22-31, bin/run.mjs:79-85, bin/run.mjs:99, bin/run.mjs:168-180, bin/run.mjs:223-233; documented invocation at SKILL.md:40
Vulnerability Type: Sensitive credential exposure
Risk Level: Medium

Vulnerable Code

js

{
  "defaultValue": null,
  "description": "Access token for the API service.",
  "enumValues": [],
  "location": "query",
  "name": "token",
  "required": true,
  "schemaType": "string"
}

js

const params = parseParams(args.paramsJson);
applyDefaults(operation, params);
injectToken(operation, params, args.token);
validateRequired(operation, params);

const baseUrl = manifest.baseUrl;
const url = new URL(operation.path, ensureBaseUrl(baseUrl));
applyPathParams(operation, params, url);
applyQueryParams(operation, params, url);

js

response = await fetch(url, requestInit);

js

function injectToken(operation, params, cliToken) {
  const tokenParam = operation.parameters.find((parameter) => parameter.name === "token");
  if (!tokenParam || params.token !== undefined) {
    return;
  }
  if (!cliToken) {
    fail("--token is required for this operation.", {
      operationId: operation.operationId,
    });
  }
  params.token = cliToken;
}

js

function applyQueryParams(operation, params, url) {
  for (const parameter of operation.parameters.filter((item) => item.location === "query")) {
    const value = params[parameter.name];
    if (value === undefined) {
      continue;
    }
    appendValue(url.searchParams, parameter.name, value);
  }
}

The documented invocation also supplies the secret through a command-line argument:

bash

node {baseDir}/bin/run.mjs --operation "searchReelsV1" --token "$JUST_ONE_API_TOKEN" --params-json '{"keyword":"<keyword>"}'

Technical Analysis

The operation manifest classifies the AP ...[truncated 2752 chars]

Remediation

View remediation

Remediation Suggestions

1. Change the API authentication scheme to use an HTTP authorization header, such as:

   js

   const requestInit = {
     headers: {
       "accept": "application/json",
       "authorization": `Bearer ${token}`,
     },
     method: operation.method,
   };
   

2. Remove token from the operation’s query-parameter list so that applyQueryParams cannot append it to the URL.

3. Read the credential directly from process.env.JUST_ONE_API_TOKEN rather than requiring it through --token. If CLI compatibility must be retained, prefer the environment variable and clearly deprecate the command-line option.

4. Never include the token or complete authenticated URL in normal output, errors, debug logs, telemetry, or exception metadata.

5. Disable automatic cross-origin redirects for authenticated requests, or explicitly verify that every redirect remains on the expected HTTPS origin before forwarding credentials.

6. Configure API gateways, proxies, and server access logs to redact existing token query parameters while migration is in progress.

7. Rotate credentials that may previously have appeared in process metadata or URL logs, and apply minimum API scopes, short expiration periods, quotas, and provider-side restrictions where supported.

8. Update SKILL.md, generated/operations.json, and generated/operations.md to describe the safer authentication mechanism consistently.

SkillSpector

Vulnerability Patterns

• Data Exfiltration: External Transmission, Env Variable Harvesting, File System Enumeration
• Privilege Escalation: Excessive Permissions, Sudo/Root Execution, Credential Access
• Trigger Abuse: Overly Broad Trigger, Shadow Command Trigger, Keyword Baiting Trigger
• MCP Least Privilege: Underdeclared Capability, Wildcard Permission, Missing Permission Declaration
• Prompt Injection: Instruction Override, Hidden Instructions, Exfiltration Commands

Findings (7)

Credential Access

High

• Category: Privilege Escalation
• Confidence: 94% confidence

Finding

This skill explicitly requests an access token as user-supplied input, creating credential-handling risk and normalizing direct exposure of secrets to the tool interface. In agent environments, such parameters can be surfaced in prompts, traces, or intermediate storage, enabling unintended disclosure or reuse of the credential.

Content

Scanner excerpt · generated/operations.json (reported line 15)May include surrounding context.

json

"parameters": [
        {
          "defaultValue": null,
          "description": "Access token for the API service.",
          "enumValues": [],
          "location": "query",
          "name": "token",

Credential Access

High

• Category: Privilege Escalation
• Confidence: 70% confidence

Finding

Code accesses credential files (SSH keys, AWS credentials, etc.). This could indicate credential theft attempts.

Content

Scanner excerpt · bin/run.mjs (reported line 20)May include surrounding context.

js

| Name | In | Required | Type | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `token` | `query` | yes | `string` | n/a | Access token for the API service. |
| `keyword` | `query` | yes | `string` | n/a | The search keyword or hashtag to filter Reels. |
| `paginationToken` | `query` | no | `string` | n/a | Token used for retrieving the next page of results. |

Credential Access

High

• Category: Privilege Escalation
• Confidence: 70% confidence

Finding

Code accesses credential files (SSH keys, AWS credentials, etc.). This could indicate credential theft attempts.

Content

Scanner excerpt · generated/operations.md (reported line 19)May include surrounding context.

md

| Name | In | Required | Type | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `token` | `query` | yes | `string` | n/a | Access token for the API service. |
| `keyword` | `query` | yes | `string` | n/a | The search keyword or hashtag to filter Reels. |
| `paginationToken` | `query` | no | `string` | n/a | Token used for retrieving the next page of results. |

Undeclared Tool Scope

Medium

• Category: MCP Least Privilege
• Confidence: 70% confidence

Finding

Without declared permissions the skill's intent is opaque and cannot be validated.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Missing User Warnings

Medium

• Category: Not specified by scanner
• Confidence: 98% confidence

Finding

The skill defines the API access token as a query parameter and later appends all query parameters directly into the request URL. Query-string secrets are commonly exposed through logs, browser/history equivalents, proxies, monitoring systems, and error telemetry, making credential leakage more likely than if the token were sent in an Authorization header.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Vague Triggers

Medium

• Category: Not specified by scanner
• Confidence: 89% confidence

Finding

This is a manifest-style JSON file, so vague-trigger checks apply. The description states the skill should be used for Instagram Reels Search with a keyword, but it does not define specific invocation phrases, scope boundaries, or exclusion conditions, which can make activation criteria overly broad for generic 'search Instagram' requests.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Missing User Warnings

Medium

• Category: Not specified by scanner
• Confidence: 96% confidence

Finding

The API requires a sensitive access token in the query string, which is commonly exposed through logs, browser history, proxy telemetry, analytics tools, and error traces. Even when sent over HTTPS, query parameters are more likely than headers to be retained or propagated by infrastructure, increasing the chance of credential leakage.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Static analysis

No suspicious patterns detected.