Security audit

Keyapi Instagram

Security checks for vulnerabilities and agentic risk

Overview

The skill is mostly aligned with Instagram analysis through KeyAPI, but its setup stores a bearer token in shell startup files and handles token entry in ways that deserve review before installation.

Install only if you are comfortable using a KeyAPI token for live Instagram data requests. Prefer a per-session environment variable or a secure credential store instead of the provided persistent setup, avoid passing tokens on the command line, keep follower/story/comment collection narrowly scoped, and delete exported response files when no longer needed.

A.I.G

Vulnerability Patterns

Insecure Skill Coding PracticesFinds exploitable flaws such as hardcoded secrets or command injection
Skill Instruction HijackingAlters the agent's session goals or safety constraints when the skill loads
Agent Memory PoisoningWrites attacker-controlled rules into memory that affect later sessions
Remote Payload Retrieval and ExecutionFetches external code whose behavior can change after review
Embedded Malicious CodeShips malicious scripts inside the skill and executes them locally

Findings (1)

T09 · Insecure Skill Coding Practices

Warning

Location: scripts/configure-keyapi-auth.mjs:214
Finding: KeyAPI Bearer Token Stored in Plaintext Without Enforced Access Controls
Content: View full analysis
Remediation: View remediation

SkillSpector

Vulnerability Patterns

Data ExfiltrationExternal Transmission, Env Variable Harvesting, File System Enumeration
Excessive AgencyUnrestricted Tool Access, Autonomous Decision Making, Scope Creep
Prompt InjectionInstruction Override, Hidden Instructions, Exfiltration Commands
Privilege EscalationExcessive Permissions, Sudo/Root Execution, Credential Access
Supply ChainUnpinned Dependencies, External Script Fetching, Obfuscated Code

Findings (28)

Ae1

High

Category: analysis-evasion
Confidence: 100% confidence
Finding: Referenced artifact was not completely inspected
Content: Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 25)May include surrounding context.
md
2. Check auth with `node scripts/configure-keyapi-auth.mjs --status` when script execution is available and setup state is unknown; treat `authStatus: "availabl

Ae1

High

Category: analysis-evasion
Confidence: 100% confidence
Finding: Referenced artifact was not completely inspected
Content: Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 26)May include surrounding context.
md
2. Check auth with `node scripts/configure-keyapi-auth.mjs --status` when script execution is available and setup state is unknown; treat `authStatus: "availabl

Ae1

High

Category: analysis-evasion
Confidence: 100% confidence
Finding: Referenced artifact was not completely inspected
Content: Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 88)May include surrounding context.
md
2. Check auth with `node scripts/configure-keyapi-auth.mjs --status` when script execution is available and setup state is unknown; treat `authStatus: "availabl

Ae1

High

Category: analysis-evasion
Confidence: 100% confidence
Finding: Referenced artifact was not completely inspected
Content: Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 89)May include surrounding context.
md
2. Check auth with `node scripts/configure-keyapi-auth.mjs --status` when script execution is available and setup state is unknown; treat `authStatus: "availabl

Ae1

High

Category: analysis-evasion
Confidence: 100% confidence
Finding: Referenced artifact was not completely inspected
Content: Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 98)May include surrounding context.
md
2. Check auth with `node scripts/configure-keyapi-auth.mjs --status` when script execution is available and setup state is unknown; treat `authStatus: "availabl

Ae1

High

Category: analysis-evasion
Confidence: 100% confidence
Finding: Referenced artifact was not completely inspected
Content: Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 32)May include surrounding context.
md
9. Resolve current docs with `node scripts/search-keyapi-docs.mjs --query "<semantic entity action>" --resolve` when the helper script is available; otherwise o

Ae1

High

Category: analysis-evasion
Confidence: 100% confidence
Finding: Referenced artifact was not completely inspected
Content: Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 99)May include surrounding context.
md
9. Resolve current docs with `node scripts/search-keyapi-docs.mjs --query "<semantic entity action>" --resolve` when the helper script is available; otherwise o

Ae1

High

Category: analysis-evasion
Confidence: 100% confidence
Finding: Referenced artifact was not completely inspected
Content: Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 117)May include surrounding context.
md
9. Resolve current docs with `node scripts/search-keyapi-docs.mjs --query "<semantic entity action>" --resolve` when the helper script is available; otherwise o

Ae1

High

Category: analysis-evasion
Confidence: 100% confidence
Finding: Referenced artifact was not completely inspected
Content: Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 35)May include surrounding context.
md
12. Prefer `node scripts/keyapi-api.mjs` for live REST calls when script execution is available. Use the host's HTTP client only when scripts are unavailable or

Ae1

High

Category: analysis-evasion
Confidence: 100% confidence
Finding: Referenced artifact was not completely inspected
Content: Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 100)May include surrounding context.
md
12. Prefer `node scripts/keyapi-api.mjs` for live REST calls when script execution is available. Use the host's HTTP client only when scripts are unavailable or

Ae1

High

Category: analysis-evasion
Confidence: 100% confidence
Finding: Referenced artifact was not completely inspected
Content: Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 102)May include surrounding context.
md
12. Prefer `node scripts/keyapi-api.mjs` for live REST calls when script execution is available. Use the host's HTTP client only when scripts are unavailable or

Ae1

High

Category: analysis-evasion
Confidence: 100% confidence
Finding: Referenced artifact was not completely inspected
Content: Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 123)May include surrounding context.
md
12. Prefer `node scripts/keyapi-api.mjs` for live REST calls when script execution is available. Use the host's HTTP client only when scripts are unavailable or

Ae1

High

Category: analysis-evasion
Confidence: 100% confidence
Finding: Referenced artifact was not completely inspected
Content: Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 129)May include surrounding context.
md
12. Prefer `node scripts/keyapi-api.mjs` for live REST calls when script execution is available. Use the host's HTTP client only when scripts are unavailable or

Ae1

High

Category: analysis-evasion
Confidence: 100% confidence
Finding: Referenced artifact was not completely inspected
Content: Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 135)May include surrounding context.
md
12. Prefer `node scripts/keyapi-api.mjs` for live REST calls when script execution is available. Use the host's HTTP client only when scripts are unavailable or

Ae1

High

Category: analysis-evasion
Confidence: 100% confidence
Finding: Referenced artifact was not completely inspected
Content: Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 141)May include surrounding context.
md
12. Prefer `node scripts/keyapi-api.mjs` for live REST calls when script execution is available. Use the host's HTTP client only when scripts are unavailable or

Ae1

High

Category: analysis-evasion
Confidence: 100% confidence
Finding: Referenced artifact was not completely inspected
Content: Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 147)May include surrounding context.
md
12. Prefer `node scripts/keyapi-api.mjs` for live REST calls when script execution is available. Use the host's HTTP client only when scripts are unavailable or

Ae1

High

Category: analysis-evasion
Confidence: 100% confidence
Finding: Referenced artifact was not completely inspected
Content: Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 153)May include surrounding context.
md
12. Prefer `node scripts/keyapi-api.mjs` for live REST calls when script execution is available. Use the host's HTTP client only when scripts are unavailable or

Ae1

High

Category: analysis-evasion
Confidence: 100% confidence
Finding: Referenced artifact was not completely inspected
Content: Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 159)May include surrounding context.
md
12. Prefer `node scripts/keyapi-api.mjs` for live REST calls when script execution is available. Use the host's HTTP client only when scripts are unavailable or

Ae1

High

Category: analysis-evasion
Confidence: 100% confidence
Finding: Referenced artifact was not completely inspected
Content: Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 165)May include surrounding context.
md
12. Prefer `node scripts/keyapi-api.mjs` for live REST calls when script execution is available. Use the host's HTTP client only when scripts are unavailable or

Ae1

High

Category: analysis-evasion
Confidence: 100% confidence
Finding: Referenced artifact was not completely inspected
Content: Scanner excerpt · SKILL.md (reported line 102)May include surrounding context.
md
a different current working directory, resolve `scripts/...` relative to this `SKILL.md`. For large JSON bodies, especially base64 image payloads, prefer `--bo

Missing User Warnings

Medium

Category: Not specified by scanner
Confidence: 89% confidence
Finding: The guidance explicitly routes the agent to collect Stories, followers/following, and related-profile relationship data without any privacy guardrails, purpose limitation, or sensitivity warning. In a skill designed for live Instagram discovery and analysis, this can normalize collection of relationship and ephemeral content in ways that enable profiling, surveillance, or over-collection beyond user intent.
Content: No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Missing User Warnings

Medium

Category: Not specified by scanner
Confidence: 91% confidence
Finding: The file explicitly instructs that API calls are live by default and recommends rerunning requests with an output file to capture full payloads, but it does not require user consent or warn that Instagram-related data may be stored locally or repeatedly transmitted to a third-party API. This can lead to unintended collection, persistence, and disclosure of profile, follower, comment, or location data, especially when the agent handles personal or sensitive targets.
Content: No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Missing User Warnings

Medium

Category: Not specified by scanner
Confidence: 89% confidence
Finding: The script prompts for KEYAPI_TOKEN using readline.question(), which reads from standard input without masking the entered value. In a normal terminal this means the token is typically echoed to the screen and may also be exposed to shoulder-surfing, terminal recording, or shell/session logging, unnecessarily disclosing a secret during setup. In this skill context, the script is specifically for API credential configuration, so handling secrets safely is security-relevant rather than incidental.
Content: No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Context-Inappropriate Capability

Medium

Category: Not specified by scanner
Confidence: 96% confidence
Finding: The script reads KEYAPI_TOKEN from the user's shell profile files (.zshrc, .bashrc, .profile, PowerShell profile) when the environment variable is absent. Accessing unrelated local config files expands the skill's data-access scope beyond simple Instagram API usage and can expose secrets stored in those files without clear user consent. In a skill whose stated purpose is Instagram discovery/analysis, this local secret harvesting capability is broader than necessary.
Content: No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Missing User Warnings

Medium

Category: Not specified by scanner
Confidence: 87% confidence
Finding: The script silently reads and uses KEYAPI_TOKEN for authenticated requests, including from managed shell profile content, without any in-file disclosure at point of use. This can cause users or higher-level agents to transmit credentials they did not realize would be consumed by the skill, reducing transparency around secret handling. The risk is amplified because the skill can source the token from persistent profile files rather than only the current session.
Content: No source excerpt is available for this finding.

Static analysis

Detected: suspicious.env_credential_access, suspicious.secret_argv_exposure

Environment variable access combined with network send.

Critical

Code: suspicious.env_credential_access
Location: scripts/keyapi-api.mjs:127

Instructions pass high-value credentials through process argv.

Critical

Code: suspicious.secret_argv_exposure
Location: references/setup-and-auth.md:42