T05 · Unauthorized Access and Privilege Escalation
- Location
SKILL.md:34- Finding
Excessive and Underspecified Agent Tool Privileges
- Content
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Vulnerability Details
File Location:
SKILL.md:34-37
Related Locations:SKILL.md:224-228,SKILL.md:240
Vulnerability Type: Excessive filesystem and command-execution permissions
Risk Level: MediumVulnerable Code
yaml tools: - read - exec - writeTechnical Analysis
The Skill requests unrestricted reading, writing, and command execution even though its documented purpose is to create learning plans, spaced-repetition material, and active-recall exercises. These operations do not inherently require arbitrary system command execution or broad filesystem access.
The additional feature description claims generic file processing, API integration, and system command execution capabilities. The troubleshooting guidance also suggests elevated administrator execution when permissions are insufficient. However, the Skill defines no:
- Filesystem path restrictions
- Command allowlist
- Argument validation requirements
- External endpoint allowlist
- Explicit user-approval boundary
- Concrete sandbox restrictions
- Least-privilege execution policy
Consequently, an agent loading the Skill could receive permissions beyond those legitimately required for the learning task. Because this package contains only Markdown and no executable implementation, the risk depends on the host agent interpreting and granting the declared tools.
Attack Path
- A user or platform loads the Skill and grants its declared
read,write, andexectools. - An attacker supplies a crafted learning topic, document, filename, path, or embedded instruction.
- The agent interprets that input as requiring file processing or command execution.
- In the absence of path restrictions and command allowlisting, the agent reads or modifies files outside a dedicated learning-data directory, or executes an unnecessary system command.
- If the operation fails due to permissions, the troubleshoot ...[truncated 1102 chars]
- Remediation
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Remediation Suggestions
- Remove
execbecause the documented learning functionality does not require arbitrary command execution. - Remove generic API access unless a specific external service is required and documented.
- Restrict
readandwriteoperations to a dedicated learning-data directory controlled by the user. - Require explicit user confirmation before reading an existing file, overwriting data, or contacting an external service.
- Define allowed file types, maximum file sizes, canonical-path validation, and protections against path traversal and symbolic-link attacks.
- If command execution is genuinely required, define an exact command and argument allowlist, reject shell metacharacters, disable shell interpolation, and execute with minimum privileges in a sandbox.
- Remove the recommendation to run as administrator. Replace it with least-privilege diagnostics and instructions for granting only the narrowly required resource permissions.
- Document the precise sandbox, network, retention, and data-handling boundaries instead of making a generic claim that commands execute securely.
- Ensure learning content and imported documents are treated as untrusted data and cannot issue instructions that authorize tool use.
- Remove