T08 · Insecure Dependencies
- Location
SKILL.md:51- Finding
Unpinned Third-Party Package Installation
- Content
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Vulnerability Details
File Location:
SKILL.md, line 51
Vulnerability Type: Unpinned package installation from the default Python package registry
Risk Level: MediumVulnerable Code Snippet:
bash pip install cbridge-agentTechnical Analysis
The installation instruction retrieves and installs
cbridge-agentfrom pip's configured package registry without specifying a reviewed version or validating an integrity hash. Consequently, the code installed when this instruction is followed may change after the Skill has been audited.Python package installation can execute attacker-controlled build or installation logic. If the package publisher account, distribution infrastructure, or a future release is compromised, following this instruction could execute malicious code with the privileges of the user running
pip. The referenced source repository does not independently establish that the registry artifact is identical to reviewed source.This risk is heightened because the installed application is intended to monitor and index local directories containing personal or internal Word, Excel, PDF, and Markdown documents.
Attack Path
- An attacker compromises the package publisher account, release pipeline, or package distribution channel.
- The attacker publishes a malicious version of
cbridge-agent. - A user or agent follows the Skill instruction and runs
pip install cbridge-agent. - Pip retrieves the current compromised release because no version or artifact hash is enforced.
- Malicious build, installation, or runtime code executes under the installing user's account.
- The compromised application can access files available to that account, including document directories subsequently registered through
cbridge watch add.
Impact Assessment
Successful exploitation could provide arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user who performs the installation. This ...[truncated 322 chars]
- Remediation
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Remediation Suggestions
- Pin
cbridge-agentto a specifically reviewed version rather than installing the latest available release. - Distribute a lock file or requirements file containing cryptographic hashes, and install it with pip's
--require-hashesoption. - Verify that the published package artifact corresponds to the reviewed source repository and document the package's provenance.
- Install the dependency inside a dedicated virtual environment or another appropriately isolated environment.
- Require explicit user approval before installation and before adding directories containing sensitive documents.
- Apply least privilege by granting the indexing process access only to directories required for the user's request.
- Establish a controlled update process in which new releases are reviewed and their hashes updated before deployment.
- Pin
