Security audit
Security checks for vulnerabilities and agentic risk
This skill is a safety guide for visible, narrowly scoped Linux privilege elevation, not a hidden installer or execution payload.
Install only if you want the agent to follow structured guidance for Linux tasks that may need root. You should still review any proposed privileged command before approving the visible authentication prompt, especially for package changes, protected file edits, service changes, or destructive operations.
Remote code is downloaded and executed. This bypasses code review and could introduce malicious code.
curl ... | pkexec sh
curl ... | sudo sh
If upstream documentation says the whole installer must run as root:
Tool calls are chained to bypass individual safety checks or escalate capabilities beyond what any single tool call would allow.
curl ... | pkexec sh
curl ... | sudo sh
If upstream documentation says the whole installer must run as root:
Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.
---
name: privileged-operations
description: Safely perform Linux tasks that may require root privileges. Keep work unprivileged by default. When root is genuinely required, make the exact privileged action and reason visible to the user, then elevate only that narrow operation through an interactive authentication path the user can see and control. Prefer pkexec on graphical desktops; use sudo or doas only when their prompt is genuinely visible to the user. Never ask for, capture, pipe, cache, or automate a user's password, and never silently fall back to hidden or broad root execution.
---
# Privileged Operations
Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.
---
name: privileged-operations
description: Safely perform Linux tasks that may require root privileges. Keep work unprivileged by default. When root is genuinely required, make the exact privileged action and reason visible to the user, then elevate only that narrow operation through an interactive authentication path the user can see and control. Prefer pkexec on graphical desktops; use sudo or doas only when their prompt is genuinely visible to the user. Never ask for, capture, pipe, cache, or automate a user's password, and never silently fall back to hidden or broad root execution.
---
# Privileged Operations
Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.
---
name: privileged-operations
description: Safely perform Linux tasks that may require root privileges. Keep work unprivileged by default. When root is genuinely required, make the exact privileged action and reason visible to the user, then elevate only that narrow operation through an interactive authentication path the user can see and control. Prefer pkexec on graphical desktops; use sudo or doas only when their prompt is genuinely visible to the user. Never ask for, capture, pipe, cache, or automate a user's password, and never silently fall back to hidden or broad root execution.
---
# Privileged Operations
Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.
---
name: privileged-operations
description: Safely perform Linux tasks that may require root privileges. Keep work unprivileged by default. When root is genuinely required, make the exact privileged action and reason visible to the user, then elevate only that narrow operation through an interactive authentication path the user can see and control. Prefer pkexec on graphical desktops; use sudo or doas only when their prompt is genuinely visible to the user. Never ask for, capture, pipe, cache, or automate a user's password, and never silently fall back to hidden or broad root execution.
---
# Privileged Operations
Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.
---
name: privileged-operations
description: Safely perform Linux tasks that may require root privileges. Keep work unprivileged by default. When root is genuinely required, make the exact privileged action and reason visible to the user, then elevate only that narrow operation through an interactive authentication path the user can see and control. Prefer pkexec on graphical desktops; use sudo or doas only when their prompt is genuinely visible to the user. Never ask for, capture, pipe, cache, or automate a user's password, and never silently fall back to hidden or broad root execution.
---
# Privileged Operations
Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.
---
name: privileged-operations
description: Safely perform Linux tasks that may require root privileges. Keep work unprivileged by default. When root is genuinely required, make the exact privileged action and reason visible to the user, then elevate only that narrow operation through an interactive authentication path the user can see and control. Prefer pkexec on graphical desktops; use sudo or doas only when their prompt is genuinely visible to the user. Never ask for, capture, pipe, cache, or automate a user's password, and never silently fall back to hidden or broad root execution.
---
# Privileged Operations
Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.
When a graphical polkit authentication agent is available, prefer:
pkexec <program> <arguments...>
This keeps the authentication step separate from the agent and normally gives the user a desktop approval/password dialog.
Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.
When a graphical polkit authentication agent is available, prefer:
pkexec <program> <arguments...>
This keeps the authentication step separate from the agent and normally gives the user a desktop approval/password dialog.
Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.
When a graphical polkit authentication agent is available, prefer:
pkexec <program> <arguments...>
This keeps the authentication step separate from the agent and normally gives the user a desktop approval/password dialog.
Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.
When a graphical polkit authentication agent is available, prefer:
pkexec <program> <arguments...>
This keeps the authentication step separate from the agent and normally gives the user a desktop approval/password dialog.
Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.
When a graphical polkit authentication agent is available, prefer:
pkexec <program> <arguments...>
This keeps the authentication step separate from the agent and normally gives the user a desktop approval/password dialog.
Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.
When a graphical polkit authentication agent is available, prefer:
pkexec <program> <arguments...>
This keeps the authentication step separate from the agent and normally gives the user a desktop approval/password dialog.
Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.
When a graphical polkit authentication agent is available, prefer:
pkexec <program> <arguments...>
This keeps the authentication step separate from the agent and normally gives the user a desktop approval/password dialog.
Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.
When a graphical polkit authentication agent is available, prefer:
pkexec <program> <arguments...>
This keeps the authentication step separate from the agent and normally gives the user a desktop approval/password dialog.
Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.
When a graphical polkit authentication agent is available, prefer:
pkexec <program> <arguments...>
This keeps the authentication step separate from the agent and normally gives the user a desktop approval/password dialog.
Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.
When a graphical polkit authentication agent is available, prefer:
pkexec <program> <arguments...>
This keeps the authentication step separate from the agent and normally gives the user a desktop approval/password dialog.
Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.
When a graphical polkit authentication agent is available, prefer:
pkexec <program> <arguments...>
This keeps the authentication step separate from the agent and normally gives the user a desktop approval/password dialog.
Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.
When a graphical polkit authentication agent is available, prefer:
pkexec <program> <arguments...>
This keeps the authentication step separate from the agent and normally gives the user a desktop approval/password dialog.
Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.
When a graphical polkit authentication agent is available, prefer:
pkexec <program> <arguments...>
This keeps the authentication step separate from the agent and normally gives the user a desktop approval/password dialog.
Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.
When a graphical polkit authentication agent is available, prefer:
pkexec <program> <arguments...>
This keeps the authentication step separate from the agent and normally gives the user a desktop approval/password dialog.
Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.
When a graphical polkit authentication agent is available, prefer:
pkexec <program> <arguments...>
This keeps the authentication step separate from the agent and normally gives the user a desktop approval/password dialog.
Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.
- ask the user to send their password in chat;
- read, store, log, echo, or capture a password;
- pipe a password to an elevation tool;
- use `sudo -S`;
- use `sshpass` or equivalent password automation for local root elevation;
- put a password in a command, script, environment variable, or temporary file;
- create passwordless privilege rules merely to avoid prompts;
The example pkexec /usr/bin/rm -- "$file" is presented as a quoting best practice, but in a privilege-focused skill it still normalizes privileged deletion driven by a variable rather than a concrete path. If an agent applies this pattern without strong validation of $file, symlink checks, path canonicalization, and target allowlisting, it could delete unintended protected files.
Quote paths and variables, and use -- before path operands where supported:
pkexec /usr/bin/rm -- "$file"
Do not trust a project-local executable merely because its name resembles a system program.