T08 · Insecure Dependencies
Warning
- Location
- SKILL.md:19
- Finding
- Unpinned Third-Party Package Installation Creates Supply-Chain Risk## Vulnerability Details **File Location**: `SKILL.md`, lines 19–21 and line 43 **Vulnerability Type**: `T08: Insecure Dependencies` **Risk Level**: Medium ### Vulnerable Code Lines 19–21: ```markdown Expected installation command: ```bash pip install nestedpdfmerger ``` ``` Line 43: ```markdown 4. If the command fails because the binary is missing, tell the user to install it with `pip install nestedpdfmerger`. ``` ### Technical Analysis The skill recommends installing `nestedpdfmerger` from the configured Python package index without specifying a reviewed version or verifying an integrity hash. The repository contains no lock file, hash-locked requirements file, vendored implementation, or other mechanism that binds installation to audited package content. Consequently, the code installed and executed can change after this skill has been reviewed. Risk arises if the package, one of its transitive dependencies, the package publishing account, or the configured package index is compromised. Because Python packages may execute installation or build logic, malicious behavior could occur during installation. Malicious code could also run when the documented CLI or module entry point is subsequently invoked. This finding does not establish that the current `nestedpdfmerger` package is malicious. It identifies the absence of controls needed to prevent an unreviewed or compromised future release from being installed. ### Attack Path 1. An attacker compromises the package publisher, publishes a malicious future release, compromises a transitive dependency, or controls the package source configured for pip. 2. A user follows the skill's recommendation and runs `pip install nestedpdfmerger`. 3. pip resolves the unpinned package name to attacker-controlled or otherwise unreviewed package content. 4. Malicious code executes during package installation, build processing, or later invocation of `nestedpdfmerger`. 5. The code operates with the privileges of the u ...[truncated 819 chars]
- Remediation
- ## Remediation Suggestions 1. Pin the dependency to a specifically reviewed release: ```bash python -m pip install nestedpdfmerger==<reviewed-version> ``` 2. Publish a hash-locked requirements file containing the package and every transitive dependency, then require integrity verification: ```bash python -m pip install --require-hashes -r requirements.txt ``` 3. Record the reviewed package version, expected hashes, official package index, and upstream source repository in the skill documentation. 4. Install the dependency in an isolated virtual environment rather than the user's global Python environment. 5. Review the pinned distribution artifacts and transitive dependencies before recommending them, including package build configuration and installation hooks. 6. Define an explicit update process in which new versions and hashes are reviewed before changing the documented installation command.