T08 · Insecure Dependencies
Warning
- Location
- README.md:22
- Finding
- Unpinned Skills CLI Download and Execution## Vulnerability Details **File Location**: `README.md`, lines 22-23 **Vulnerability Type**: Unpinned third-party package execution **Risk Level**: Medium ### Vulnerable Code ```bash npx skills add Promethe-us/max-throughput -g -a cursor npx skills add Promethe-us/max-throughput -g -a codex ``` ### Technical Analysis These installation instructions invoke the `skills` npm package through `npx` without specifying an exact, reviewed version. If the package is not already available locally, `npx` can retrieve it from the configured npm registry and execute it immediately. The effective code therefore may change after this Skill has been reviewed. This creates a supply-chain trust boundary that is not disclosed or constrained by a lockfile, integrity hash, exact version, or trusted-registry requirement. The `-g` option also performs a global Skill installation, potentially changing persistent agent configuration. No evidence was found that the currently referenced package is malicious. The vulnerability is the unsafe, mutable dependency retrieval mechanism. ### Attack Path 1. An attacker compromises the upstream `skills` package, its maintainer account, its release process, or the registry resolution path. 2. The attacker publishes a malicious version under the expected package name. 3. A user follows the documented unpinned `npx skills add` command. 4. `npx` resolves and downloads the attacker-controlled release. 5. Package code or installation hooks execute with the user's privileges. 6. The malicious package can access files available to that user and may modify globally installed agent Skills or configuration. ### Impact Assessment Successful exploitation could obtain arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running the installation. The accessible scope may include source repositories, user-readable credentials, agent configuration, and globally installed Skills. Administrative or root privileg ...[truncated 89 chars]
- Remediation
- ## Remediation Suggestions - Pin the CLI to an exact, reviewed version, for example `npx skills@1.2.3 add ...`. - Prefer `npx --no-install` when an audited local installation is expected. - Document the expected registry and advise users to reject unexpected download prompts. - Publish and verify package integrity information, such as an npm lockfile or release checksums. - Recommend manual installation from a reviewed release archive as the security-sensitive alternative. - Avoid running installation commands with elevated privileges.
