T09 · Insecure Skill Coding Practices
- Location
SKILL.md:21- Finding
Uncontrolled Cloud Inference Fallback Contradicts Local-Only Data Guarantee
- Content
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Vulnerability Details
File Location:
SKILL.md, lines 21 and 38
Vulnerability Type: Privacy-sensitive data disclosure through an unspecified cloud inference fallback
Risk Level: MediumRelevant Code Snippet:
markdown - GDPR/HIPAA compliance via local inference (no data leaves server)markdown - Maintain cloud API fallback for quality-critical tasksTechnical Analysis
The Skill promises that local inference prevents data from leaving the server, but it also instructs operators to maintain a cloud API fallback for quality-critical tasks. Invoking such a fallback can transmit inference inputs—including prompts, client personas, business information, or regulated records—to an external service.
The Skill does not specify an approved cloud provider, an explicit user-consent requirement, criteria for activating the fallback, sensitive-data classification or redaction, regulated-workload restrictions, retention controls, processing terms, or audit requirements. Consequently, the fallback may exceed the minimum network privileges necessary for a deployment represented as local-only.
This is a configuration and workflow security weakness rather than evidence of an implemented exfiltration payload. The project contains only documentation, and no executable mechanism that automatically sends data was found.
Attack Path
- A client selects local inference based on the statement that no data leaves the server.
- The deployed agent receives a prompt containing confidential, personal, or regulated information.
- The request is classified as quality-critical, either manually or by downstream implementation logic.
- The cloud API fallback is activated without a mandatory consent or sanitization gate.
- The full request or associated context is transmitted to an unspecified external inference provider.
- The external provider may process, log, or retain the information under controls ...[truncated 730 chars]
- Remediation
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Remediation Suggestions
- Remove the cloud fallback from deployments advertised as local-only.
- If fallback is required, make it explicitly opt-in per tenant and clearly state that selected data may leave the server.
- Require separate, informed authorization before transmitting any request externally; do not infer consent merely from use of the Skill.
- Define an allowlist of approved providers and endpoints rather than permitting an unspecified cloud API.
- Prohibit cloud fallback for regulated or confidential workloads unless an appropriate processing agreement and compliance review are in place.
- Apply data classification, minimization, and redaction before transmission. Exclude credentials, identifiers, health information, proprietary context, and unnecessary conversation history.
- Enforce transport encryption, secure credential storage, least-privilege API keys, provider retention restrictions, and tenant isolation.
- Record fallback activation, destination, reason, data classification, and authorization in privacy-preserving audit logs.
- Provide a strict configuration mode that technically blocks all outbound inference traffic.
- Replace the unconditional privacy statement with documentation accurately describing the processing boundary and every condition under which data may leave the server.
