T08 · Insecure Dependencies
- Location
SKILL.md:111- Finding
Unnecessary and Unpinned Installation of a Third-Party Package Named subprocess
- Content
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Vulnerability Details
File Location:
SKILL.md, line 111
Vulnerability Type: Insecure third-party dependency installation
Risk Level: HighVulnerable Code
bash pip install subprocessTechnical Analysis
The Skill instructs users to install a package named
subprocessfrom the configured Python Package Index without specifying a version, package hash, publisher, or trusted source.Python already provides
subprocessas part of its standard library, so no external package is required. Executing this command may instead retrieve an unrelated third-party distribution with the same name. Because Python packages can execute code during build or installation, a malicious or compromised distribution could run arbitrary code under the privileges of the user following the setup instructions.The absence of version pinning and integrity verification also makes the effective installation artifact mutable over time. The audit did not establish that the referenced package is malicious; the vulnerability is the unnecessary and unsafe dependency acquisition mechanism.
Attack Path
- An attacker publishes, compromises, or otherwise controls a distribution resolved by
pip install subprocess, or influences the user's configured package index. - A user follows the environment preparation instructions in
SKILL.md. - Pip downloads the attacker-controlled source distribution or wheel without checking a project-provided version constraint or cryptographic hash.
- Installation or build logic executes with the invoking user's privileges.
- The malicious package can access resources available to that user, including local files, environment variables, credentials, and container-engine interfaces.
- If the user has access to a privileged Docker or Podman socket, the package may potentially use that existing access to affect containers or the host.
Impact Assessment
Successful exploitation permits arbitrary code execution with the ...[truncated 772 chars]
- An attacker publishes, compromises, or otherwise controls a distribution resolved by
- Remediation
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Remediation Suggestions
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Remove the following instruction entirely:
bash pip install subprocess -
Import and use Python's standard-library module directly:
python import subprocess -
If genuine third-party dependencies are added later, declare them in a reviewed dependency manifest or lock file.
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Pin every external dependency to an approved version and verify package integrity with cryptographic hashes, for example by using a hash-locked requirements file and:
bash python3 -m pip install --require-hashes -r requirements.txt -
Use an explicitly trusted package index and prevent unintended fallback to untrusted or internal indexes.
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Review package ownership, release history, and provenance before approving new dependencies.
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Perform installation in an isolated virtual environment as an unprivileged user. Do not install project dependencies as root or an administrator.
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Avoid exposing Docker or Podman sockets, credentials, or other sensitive resources to dependency installation processes unless strictly necessary.
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