Security audit

Analyst Watchdog

Security checks for vulnerabilities and agentic risk

Overview

The skill is a coherent local monitoring watchdog, but its implementation lets untrusted localhost API data influence agent-consumed files and can read JSON files outside its intended score directory.

Install only if you control the localhost service on port 8765 and are comfortable with unattended local file writes. Before scheduled use, constrain the output directories, validate API response fields, restrict score keys to safe identifiers, and ensure downstream agents treat generated Markdown as untrusted data.

A.I.G

Vulnerability Patterns

Skill Instruction HijackingAlters the agent's session goals or safety constraints when the skill loads
Unauthorized Access and Privilege EscalationObtains permissions beyond the task's legitimate needs
Agent Memory PoisoningWrites attacker-controlled rules into memory that affect later sessions
Remote Payload Retrieval and ExecutionFetches external code whose behavior can change after review
Embedded Malicious CodeShips malicious scripts inside the skill and executes them locally

Findings (2)

T05 · Unauthorized Access and Privilege Escalation

Warning

Location: scripts/analyst_agent.py:145
Finding: API-Controlled Path Traversal Allows Unauthorized Local JSON File Reads
Content: View full analysis
Remediation: View remediation
list: if not re.fullmatch(r"[A-Za-z0-9_-]+", key): log("WARNING: Rejected invalid score key") return [] scores_dir = ( WORKSPACE / "projects" / "hybrid-control-plane" / "data" / "scores" ).resolve() score_file = (scores_dir / f"{key}.json").resolve() if score_file.parent != scores_dir: log("WARNING: Rejected score path outside score directory") return [] try: with score_file.open() as f: records = json.load(f) if not isinstance(records, list): return [] return [ round(float(record["score"]), 4) for record in records[-10:] if isinstance(record, dict) and "score" in record ] except (FileNotFoundError, OSError, ValueError, TypeError, json.JSONDecodeError): return [] ``` ]]>

T01 · Skill Instruction Hijacking

Warning

Location: scripts/analyst_agent.py:205
Finding: Untrusted Local API Content Is Injected into Agent and Alert Channels
Content: View full analysis
Remediation: View remediation

SkillSpector

Vulnerability Patterns

Excessive AgencyUnrestricted Tool Access, Autonomous Decision Making, Scope Creep
Trigger AbuseOverly Broad Trigger, Shadow Command Trigger, Keyword Baiting Trigger
MCP Least PrivilegeUnderdeclared Capability, Wildcard Permission, Missing Permission Declaration
Prompt InjectionInstruction Override, Hidden Instructions, Exfiltration Commands
Data ExfiltrationExternal Transmission, Env Variable Harvesting, File System Enumeration

Findings (3)

Undeclared Tool Scope

Medium

Category: MCP Least Privilege
Confidence: 94% confidence
Finding: The skill advertises operational behavior that includes local file writes and polling a localhost API, but it does not declare an explicit tool/permission scope. That mismatch weakens least-privilege controls and can cause an orchestrator or reviewer to underestimate what the skill is allowed to do, especially for an autonomous scheduled agent.
Content: No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Vague Triggers

Medium

Category: Not specified by scanner
Confidence: 93% confidence
Finding: The description uses broad activation language like 'use when you need an autonomous agent that monitors a system and produces structured analysis,' which can cause the skill to be invoked in situations beyond the author's intended scope. For a skill that runs autonomously and writes alerts/files, overbroad matching increases the chance of unintended execution and unexpected state changes on the host.
Content: No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Missing User Warnings

Medium

Category: Not specified by scanner
Confidence: 92% confidence
Finding: The markdown describes autonomous scheduled file writes and alert generation, including an urgent alert file that is sent and deleted, but it does not prominently warn users that the skill will modify local files without ongoing interaction. In an autonomous context, undisclosed persistence and file mutation are risky because they can surprise users, overwrite artifacts, or create covert signaling channels between agents/processes.
Content: No source excerpt is available for this finding.