Security audit

Shortcuts Automator

Security checks for vulnerabilities and agentic risk

Overview

The skill is meant to control macOS Shortcuts, but it should be reviewed because broad triggers and shell-style command examples could lead to unintended or unsafe shortcut execution.

Review this skill before installing. Use it only for trusted local shortcuts, require explicit confirmation before running or signing shortcuts, and avoid executing shortcut names assembled into shell command strings unless names are validated from `shortcuts list` and passed as separate process arguments.

A.I.G

Vulnerability Patterns

Insecure Skill Coding PracticesFinds exploitable flaws such as hardcoded secrets or command injection
Skill Instruction HijackingAlters the agent's session goals or safety constraints when the skill loads
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 (1)

T09 · Insecure Skill Coding Practices

Error

Location: SKILL.md:43
Finding: Shell Command Injection Through Unsafely Interpolated Shortcut Names
Content: View full analysis
`: Exact name of the shortcut (use quotes if name contains spaces) ``` ### Technical Analysis The skill instructs the agent to place a shortcut name into a shell-command template. It recommends enclosing the value in double quotes but does not require shell-free process execution, validation, or platform-correct escaping. Double quotes alone are not a safe defense when an untrusted value is used to construct a command string. A value containing a closing quote, command substitution, or other shell syntax may alter the resulting command. For example, interpolating a name such as `x"; malicious-command; #` could produce: ```bash shortcuts run "x"; malicious-command; #" ``` If the agent passes this generated string to a shell, the shell runs `malicious-command` separately from the intended `shortcuts` invocation. Command substitution syntax may also be evaluated inside double quotes when the assembled value is interpreted as shell source. The same unsafe usage pattern is repeated in `README.md`, lines 32-45. Exploitability depends on the execution layer constructing and evaluating a shell command string rather than passing the shortcut name as a distinct process argument. ### Attack Path 1. An attacker supplies or requests a shortcut name containing shell syntax, such as `x"; malicious-command; #`. 2. The agent follows the documented template and inserts that value between literal double quotes. 3. The agent or its command-execution tool submits the assembled command through a shell. 4. The injected quote terminates the intended shortcut-name argument. 5. The shell interprets the remaining text as an additional command. 6. The injected command executes with the operating-system priv ...[truncated 816 chars]
Remediation: View remediation

SkillSpector

Vulnerability Patterns

Trigger AbuseOverly Broad Trigger, Shadow Command Trigger, Keyword Baiting Trigger
Prompt InjectionInstruction Override, Hidden Instructions, Exfiltration Commands
Data ExfiltrationExternal Transmission, Env Variable Harvesting, File System Enumeration
Privilege EscalationExcessive Permissions, Sudo/Root Execution, Credential Access
Supply ChainUnpinned Dependencies, External Script Fetching, Obfuscated Code

Findings (1)

Vague Triggers

Medium

Category: Not specified by scanner
Confidence: 96% confidence
Finding: The trigger list is very broad and includes generic phrases like "run automation" and "show shortcuts," which can cause the skill to activate in situations where the user did not explicitly intend to execute or manage macOS Shortcuts. In this skill's context, unintended invocation is more dangerous than usual because the skill can run arbitrary user-created shortcuts, and shortcuts may themselves execute shell commands, access files, or control other applications.
Content: No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Static analysis

No suspicious patterns detected.