T05 · Unauthorized Access and Privilege Escalation
- Location
SKILL.md:5- Finding
Excessive Command-Execution Permission in a Documentation-Only Skill
- Content
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Vulnerability Details
File Location:
SKILL.md, line 5
Vulnerability Type: Excessive tool authorization and violation of least privilege
Risk Level: MediumVulnerable Code
yaml allowed-tools: read execTechnical Analysis
The skill requests the
exectool, which can permit operating-system command execution in agent platforms that enforce theallowed-toolsdeclaration. The documented workflow primarily provides natural-language guidance for selecting, designing, and testing no-code automation services. The audited file does not contain an implementation that requires unrestricted local command execution.Granting
exectherefore expands the skill's authority beyond its demonstrated functional requirements. If user-controlled content, external service data, or later instructions influence tool invocation, the agent could be induced to execute arbitrary shell commands with the privileges of the hosting agent process.The declaration does not itself execute a malicious command, and no embedded scripts or remote payloads were found. The vulnerability is the unnecessary exposure of a high-impact execution capability.
Attack Path
- A platform loads
SKILL.mdand grants the tools declared byallowed-tools. - The skill receives attacker-controlled workflow requirements, application data, error messages, or copied configuration text.
- The attacker embeds instructions directing the agent to diagnose or configure the workflow by running a crafted shell command.
- Because
execis authorized, an insufficiently isolated agent may execute that command. - The command operates with the permissions and environmental access of the agent process.
Exploitation depends on the hosting platform honoring this declaration and on the agent accepting attacker-controlled instructions as a reason to invoke
exec.Impact Assessment
Successful exploitation could provide command execution wi ...[truncated 384 chars]
- A platform loads
- Remediation
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Remediation Suggestions
- Remove
execfromallowed-toolsand retain only the minimum tool set required by the documented behavior, such asread. - If a specific diagnostic command is genuinely required, replace unrestricted execution with a narrowly scoped, parameterized diagnostic tool.
- Enforce an explicit command allowlist and reject shell metacharacters, command substitution, redirection, pipelines, and untrusted arguments.
- Require interactive approval before any local command is executed.
- Run approved commands in a sandbox with a read-only project filesystem, minimal environment variables, no credential mounts, restricted network access, and an unprivileged operating-system account.
- Treat workflow descriptions, copied error messages, and external application data as untrusted content that cannot authorize tool use.
- Add automated policy checks that flag documentation-only skills requesting command-execution capabilities.
- Remove
