T09 · Insecure Skill Coding Practices
Error
- Location
- scripts/pre-execution-gate.js:15
- Finding
- Pre-execution safety gate always fails open<![CDATA[ ## Vulnerability Details **File Location**: `scripts/pre-execution-gate.js:15-34` **Vulnerability Type**: Fail-open security control **Risk Level**: High ### Vulnerable Code ```js function preExecutionGate(plan, constraints = []) { const result = { proceed: true, warnings: [], constraints: [], conflicts: [], }; // Check for safety issues const safetyCheck = checkSafetyConstraints(plan); if (safetyCheck.hasIssues) { result.warnings.push(...safetyCheck.warnings); } // Check for conflicts const conflictCheck = checkConflicts(plan, constraints); if (conflictCheck.hasConflicts) { result.conflicts.push(...conflictCheck.conflicts); result.warnings.push(...conflictCheck.conflicts); } // Add relevant constraints result.constraints = constraints.filter(c => isRelevantToPlan(c, plan)); return result; } ``` ### Technical Analysis The gate initializes `proceed` to `true` and never changes it. Detected safety issues and conflicts are only copied into warning arrays. Consequently, plans containing patterns such as `rm -rf`, `DROP TABLE`, `DELETE FROM`, `eval`, `exec`, or `child_process` still receive an affirmative execution decision. This is a fail-open implementation of a security boundary. A caller that uses `proceed` as the authoritative go/no-go result will approve operations that the gate itself has identified as dangerous. The issue does not directly execute commands, but it defeats the intended protection around a downstream execution mechanism. ### Attack Path 1. An attacker or untrusted user submits a plan containing a dangerous operation. 2. `checkSafetyConstraints` or `checkConflicts` identifies the operation and returns warnings. 3. `preExecutionGate` records those warnings but leaves `result.proceed` equal to `true`. 4. A downstream caller checks only `proceed`. 5. The dangerous operation is treated as approved and may be executed by the caller. ### Impact Assessment The impact ...[truncated 478 chars]
- Remediation
- <![CDATA[ ## Remediation Suggestions - Default the gate to deny when the plan cannot be validated. - Set `result.proceed = false` whenever a blocking safety issue or constraint conflict is detected. - Distinguish informational warnings from blocking findings using explicit severity and policy fields. - Validate the shape and type of `plan.description`, `plan.scope`, and all constraint properties before processing. - Require explicit authorization for destructive or system-scoped operations. - Ensure downstream callers enforce the returned decision rather than merely displaying warnings. - Add automated tests proving that each dangerous pattern and each confirmed constraint conflict produces `proceed: false`. A minimal correction would include logic equivalent to: ```js if (safetyCheck.hasIssues) { result.proceed = false; result.warnings.push(...safetyCheck.warnings); } if (conflictCheck.hasConflicts) { result.proceed = false; result.conflicts.push(...conflictCheck.conflicts); result.warnings.push(...conflictCheck.conflicts); } ``` ]]>