Alibabacloud Ecs Patch Management

• Outcome: Review
• Latest audit: Sep 16, 2026 · 8:57 AM UTC
• Version: 0.0.2

Overview

The skill matches its ECS patch-management purpose, but it asks users to install and update mutable CLI/plugin code and handle cloud credentials in ways that need careful review.

Review before installing. Use a pinned, verified Aliyun CLI install method; avoid curl-to-bash and mutable latest archives; do not enable automatic plugin installation or update unrelated plugins unless you accept that persistent change. Configure credentials outside the agent session, prefer least-privilege RAM roles or short-lived credentials, and run install actions only during approved maintenance windows with explicit target confirmation.

A.I.G

Vulnerability Patterns

• Remote Payload Retrieval and Execution: Fetches external code whose behavior can change after review
• Insecure Dependencies: Introduces malicious components through unsafe dependency sources
• Insecure Skill Coding Practices: Finds exploitable flaws such as hardcoded secrets or command injection
• Skill Instruction Hijacking: Alters the agent's session goals or safety constraints when the skill loads
• Agent Memory Poisoning: Writes attacker-controlled rules into memory that affect later sessions

Findings (4)

T03 · Remote Payload Retrieval and Execution

Error

• Location: SKILL.md:22

Finding

Remote Installation Script Is Executed Without Integrity Verification

Content

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Run `aliyun version` to verify >= 3.3.3. If not installed or version too low, > run `curl -fsSL https://aliyuncli.alicdn.com/setup.sh | bash` to install/update, > or see `references/cli-installation-guide.md` for installation instructions. ``` ### Technical Analysis The downloaded response is piped directly into Bash without first saving and inspecting the script, pinning a version, or verifying a cryptographic checksum or signature. Although HTTPS protects the connection in transit, it does not protect against a compromised origin, CDN, publishing account, or upstream script that changes after this Skill has been reviewed. Direct execution is not necessary for the declared ECS patch-management functionality. Installing the CLI is an ancillary setup operation and can be performed using a version-pinned, integrity-verified package. ### Attack Path 1. An attacker compromises the script origin, CDN distribution path, DNS resolution, TLS endpoint, or upstream publishing account. 2. The attacker replaces `setup.sh` with a malicious shell payload. 3. A user or Agent follows the mandatory-looking installation instruction. 4. `curl` retrieves the current attacker-controlled response. 5. Bash executes the response immediately, without any opportunity for integrity validation or review. 6. The payload acts with the privileges and environment of the invoking user. ### Impact Assessment Successful exploitation permits arbitrary local command execution. Depending on the invoking account, the payload could: - Read or modify files accessible to the user. - Access Aliyun CLI profiles and other local credentials. - Modify shell configuration or install persistent components. - Alter binaries or configuration used in later cloud operations. - Use the user's authenti ...[truncated 266 chars]

Remediation

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T08 · Insecure Dependencies

Error

• Location: SKILL.md:27

Finding

Automatic Plugin Installation and Unpinned Updates Are Mandated

Content

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[MUST] run `aliyun configure set --auto-plugin-install true` to enable automatic plugin installation. > [MUST] run `aliyun plugin update` to ensure that any existing plugins are always up-to-date. ``` ### Technical Analysis The Skill requires enabling automatic plugin installation and updating all existing plugins without pinning versions or providing signature, checksum, provenance, or review controls. This causes executable dependencies to change independently of the reviewed Skill package. The command also changes persistent Aliyun CLI configuration. Once automatic installation is enabled, later product invocations may acquire additional code without a separate, informed approval step. Updating every existing plugin exceeds the minimum requirements of ECS patch management because unrelated installed plugins are also affected. ### Attack Path 1. An attacker compromises a plugin repository, release pipeline, signing account, distribution endpoint, or individual plugin release. 2. A malicious plugin version is published as the latest update. 3. The Skill mandates `aliyun plugin update`, or automatic installation retrieves the affected plugin during a later CLI call. 4. The malicious component is installed into the user's CLI environment. 5. The plugin executes when the associated Aliyun CLI operation is invoked. 6. It gains access to the local process environment and potentially to configured cloud authentication context. ### Impact Assessment A compromised plugin may execute code with the privileges of the CLI user. Potential impact includes: - Theft of environment-based or file-based cloud credentials. - Manipulation of CLI requests and responses. - Unauthorized Alibaba Cloud API operations within the ...[truncated 355 chars]

Remediation

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T08 · Insecure Dependencies

Error

• Location: references/cli-installation-guide.md:54

Finding

Mutable CLI Binaries Are Downloaded and Installed Without Verification

Content

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Remediation

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T09 · Insecure Skill Coding Practices

Warning

• Location: references/cli-installation-guide.md:118

Finding

Credential Configuration Guide Exposes Secrets Through Command-Line Arguments

Content

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\ --access-key-secret \ --region cn-hangzhou ``` ``` Similar command-line examples for AK, STS, and role-based modes appear at lines 143–198, 274–286, 386–397, and 464–467. The guide also documents persistent credential storage in `~/.aliyun/config.json` at lines 152–166. ### Technical Analysis Passing an access-key ID, access-key secret, or STS token as a command-line argument may expose the value through shell history, terminal recording, process inspection, debugging output, CI logs, or copied scripts. Long-lived credentials may then be persisted in the Aliyun configuration file. These examples conflict with the primary Skill's safeguards at `SKILL.md:34–36`, which state that the Agent must never ask for AK/SK values or use `aliyun configure set` with literal credential values. A user following the linked guide may therefore perform the exact behavior prohibited by the main workflow. ### Attack Path 1. A user follows the guide and substitutes real credentials into the command. 2. The shell records the command in history, or another local process observes its argument list while it runs. 3. Terminal capture, CI logging, support bundles, backups, or another local user obtains the exposed value. 4. The attacker authenticates to Alibaba Cloud using the stolen AK/SK or STS token. 5. The attacker invokes APIs until the credential is revoked or expires. A secondary path exists where the generated configuration file is copied, backed up insecurely, or committed accidentally and its stored secret is recovered. ### Impact Assessment The attacker obtains the permissions assigned to the compromised Alibaba C ...[truncated 611 chars]

Remediation

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SkillSpector

Vulnerability Patterns

• Data Exfiltration: External Transmission, Env Variable Harvesting, File System Enumeration
• Privilege Escalation: Excessive Permissions, Sudo/Root Execution, Credential Access
• Supply Chain: Unpinned Dependencies, External Script Fetching, Obfuscated Code
• Excessive Agency: Unrestricted Tool Access, Autonomous Decision Making, Scope Creep
• Rogue Agent: Self-Modification, Session Persistence

Findings (15)

External Script Fetching

High

• Category: Supply Chain
• Confidence: 98% confidence

Finding

The skill instructs users to execute a remote script directly with curl ... | bash, which bypasses integrity verification and executes whatever content is served at that URL at runtime. If the server, CDN path, DNS, TLS trust chain, or distribution mechanism is compromised, this can lead to arbitrary code execution on the host running the command.

Content

Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 24)May include surrounding context.

md

## Pre-check: Aliyun CLI >= 3.3.3 Required

> Run `aliyun version` to verify >= 3.3.3. If not installed or version too low,
> run `curl -fsSL https://aliyuncli.alicdn.com/setup.sh | bash` to install/update,
> or see `references/cli-installation-guide.md` for installation instructions.

**Pre-check: Aliyun CLI plugin update required**

Vague Triggers

Medium

• Category: Not specified by scanner
• Confidence: 93% confidence

Finding

The manifest description lists triggers such as "patch management," "OS update," and "security patches," which are broad natural-language phrases that could arise in many general support or security conversations. The file does not provide exclusion conditions or negative examples to narrow when the skill should activate versus when it should not.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Autonomous Decision Making

Medium

• Category: Excessive Agency
• Confidence: 80% confidence

Finding

Skill enables autonomous high-impact decisions without human-in-the-loop verification. Critical operations (destructive commands, financial transactions, data deletion) should require explicit user confirmation.

Content

Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 314)May include surrounding context.

md

### Snapshot Lifecycle

Snapshots created with `whetherCreateSnapshot=true` are **automatically deleted**
when their `retentionDays` window expires. Do **not** delete them manually —
relying on the retention window keeps the cleanup deterministic and avoids
accidentally removing a snapshot that another rollback workflow still needs.

Sudo/Root Execution

Medium

• Category: Privilege Escalation
• Confidence: 70% confidence

Finding

Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.

Content

Scanner excerpt · references/cli-installation-guide.md (reported line 30)May include surrounding context.

md

tar -xzf aliyun-cli-macosx-latest-amd64.tgz

# Move to PATH
sudo mv aliyun /usr/local/bin/

# Verify
aliyun version

Sudo/Root Execution

Medium

• Category: Privilege Escalation
• Confidence: 70% confidence

Finding

Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.

Content

Scanner excerpt · references/cli-installation-guide.md (reported line 45)May include surrounding context.

md

tar -xzf aliyun-cli-macosx-latest-amd64.tgz

# Move to PATH
sudo mv aliyun /usr/local/bin/

# Verify
aliyun version

Sudo/Root Execution

Medium

• Category: Privilege Escalation
• Confidence: 70% confidence

Finding

Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.

Content

Scanner excerpt · references/cli-installation-guide.md (reported line 60)May include surrounding context.

md

tar -xzf aliyun-cli-macosx-latest-amd64.tgz

# Move to PATH
sudo mv aliyun /usr/local/bin/

# Verify
aliyun version

Sudo/Root Execution

Medium

• Category: Privilege Escalation
• Confidence: 70% confidence

Finding

Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.

Content

Scanner excerpt · references/cli-installation-guide.md (reported line 73)May include surrounding context.

md

tar -xzf aliyun-cli-macosx-latest-amd64.tgz

# Move to PATH
sudo mv aliyun /usr/local/bin/

# Verify
aliyun version

Sudo/Root Execution

Medium

• Category: Privilege Escalation
• Confidence: 70% confidence

Finding

Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.

Content

Scanner excerpt · references/cli-installation-guide.md (reported line 86)May include surrounding context.

Extract and install

tar -xzf aliyun-cli-linux-latest-arm64.tgz sudo mv aliyun /usr/local/bin/

text

### Windows

Missing User Warnings

Medium

• Category: Not specified by scanner
• Confidence: 95% confidence

Finding

The guide shows secrets supplied directly on the command line and stored in local configuration without warning that shell history, process listings, CI logs, or plaintext config files may expose credentials. In an automation-focused skill, users are especially likely to copy these commands verbatim into shared shells or pipelines, increasing credential leakage risk.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Session Persistence

Medium

• Category: Rogue Agent
• Confidence: 60% confidence

Finding

Skill establishes unauthorized persistence across sessions via cron jobs, startup scripts, or state files. Session persistence allows an attacker to maintain access beyond the current interaction.

Content

Scanner excerpt · references/cli-installation-guide.md (reported line 133)May include surrounding context.

md

1. Log in to Aliyun Console: https://ram.console.aliyun.com/
2. Navigate to: AccessKey Management
3. Create a new AccessKey pair
4. Save the secret immediately — it's only shown once

### Configuration Modes

Sudo/Root Execution

Medium

• Category: Privilege Escalation
• Confidence: 80% confidence

Finding

Commands invoke sudo or root privileges. Verify this elevated access is necessary and justified.

Content

Scanner excerpt · references/cli-installation-guide.md (reported line 419)May include surrounding context.

bash

# Restrict permissions
chmod 600 ~/.aliyun/config.json

Troubleshooting

Context-Inappropriate Capability

Medium

• Category: Not specified by scanner
• Confidence: 89% confidence

Finding

The skill is described as being for ECS patch scanning and installation via OOS, but this guide instructs users to install arbitrary product plugins and explore unrelated services such as VPC, RDS, and FC. Those capabilities are not justified by the stated patch-management purpose and expand the operational surface beyond ECS/OOS patch workflows.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Missing User Warnings

Medium

• Category: Not specified by scanner
• Confidence: 90% confidence

Finding

The install example invokes patch installation with rebootIfNeed: true and snapshot creation, but the surrounding documentation does not clearly warn that this can cause service disruption, instance reboot, and workload impact. In an operational skill that may be used directly by an agent or operator, missing an explicit caution increases the risk of applying disruptive changes to production systems without informed confirmation.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Context-Inappropriate Capability

Low

• Category: Not specified by scanner
• Confidence: 75% confidence

Finding

The documentation covers RamRoleArn and RamRoleArnWithEcs modes for elevated or cross-account access, including admin-style role examples. While such modes can be valid in some deployments, they are broader than the skill's stated purpose of scanning/installing patches on ECS instances and are not clearly justified as part of the skill's intended scope.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Missing User Warnings

Low

• Category: Not specified by scanner
• Confidence: 87% confidence

Finding

Recommending debug logging without caution can expose signed requests, identifiers, endpoints, or authentication-related details in terminal output and CI logs. While not always disclosing raw secrets, such information can still aid lateral movement or credential misuse in shared environments.

Content

No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Static analysis

No suspicious patterns detected.