registry / AI-agent control-surface risk / @chem-x/create-chemx / 26.9.17-1100

@chem-x/create-chemx@26.9.17-1100

Chemical X Protocol: Private drop-in architecture starter kit and capsule generator

AI Security Review

scanned 11d ago · by lpm-firewall-ai

The package automatically mutates project and potentially global AI-agent MCP configuration during npm postinstall, without a consent guard. This meets the policy for blocking unconsented lifecycle mutation of an AI-agent control surface.

Static reason

High-risk behavior combination matched malicious policy.; previous stored version diff introduced dangerous source

Trigger

Installing the package through npm runs its postinstall hook.

Impact

Agents using those configurations may load the newly registered server and expose its tools without the consumer explicitly choosing MCP setup.

Mechanism

The hook targets the consumer project, writes Cursor and VS Code MCP settings, and, when present, updates Gemini’s global MCP config and agent schemas. The configured server may launch a local CLI or npx -y chemx mcp.

Policy narrative

During npm installation, postinstall automatically registers an MCP server in project-level Cursor and VS Code settings and may update global Gemini MCP configuration. The server entry can invoke a local CLI or npx -y chemx mcp, enabling agent tools without explicit setup consent.

AI rationale

Evidence

package.jsoncli/postinstall.jscli/mcp/installer.js.cursor/mcp.json.vscode/mcp.json~/.gemini/config/mcp_config.json

Decision evidence

public snapshot

AI identified this as a dangerous AI-agent capability at 94.0% confidence with low false-positive risk.

Evidence for policy risk

The package manifest defines a postinstall hook that runs cli/postinstall.js.
The hook uses the consumer project directory and automatically calls installAllMcpConfigs without a consent check.
The installer writes MCP server configuration into the consumer’s .cursor/mcp.json and .vscode/mcp.json files.
When a Gemini config directory exists, it also writes global MCP configuration and synchronizes agent tool schemas.
The registered server can invoke a local CLI or run npx -y chemx mcp.

Evidence against

The inspected install hook configures MCP servers; these excerpts do not show credential collection or exfiltration.
The broader AGENTS.md directives are in a separate installer function and are not called by this postinstall path.

Behavioral surface

Source

ChildProcessEnvironmentVarsFilesystemNetworkShell

Supply chain

HighEntropyStringsUrlStrings

Source & flagged code

10 flagged

package.jsonView file

•scripts.postinstall = node cli/postinstall.js

High

Install Time Lifecycle Scripts

Package defines install-time lifecycle scripts.

package.jsonView on unpkg

•scripts.postinstall = node cli/postinstall.js

Medium

Ambiguous Install Lifecycle Script

Install-time lifecycle script is not statically allowlisted and needs review.

package.jsonView on unpkg

cli/audit-preflight-git.jsView file

1import fs from 'node:fs'; L2: import { spawnSync } from 'node:child_process'; L3:

High

Child Process

Package source references child process execution.

cli/audit-preflight-git.jsView on unpkg · L1

cli/terminal.jsView file

10} else if (platform === "win32") { L11: spawnSync("cmd.exe", ["/c", "start", '""', url], { stdio: "ignore", timeout: 3000 }); L12: } else {

High

Shell

Package source references shell execution.

cli/terminal.jsView on unpkg · L10

cli/license.jsView file

3import os from 'node:os'; L4: import { spawnSync } from 'node:child_process'; L5: import { ... L17: L18: export const API_BASE = process.env.CHEMICAL_X_API_URL || 'https://chemicalx.xophz.com'; L19: export const GATEKEEPER_API_URL = process.env.COMPASS_GATEKEEPER_URL || 'https://mycompassconsulting.com/wp-json/compass/v1/gatekeeper';

High

Same File Env Network Execution

A single source file combines environment access, network access, and code or shell execution; review context before blocking.

cli/license.jsView on unpkg · L3

•matchType = previous_version_dangerous_delta matchedPackage = @chem-x/create-chemx@26.9.14-1358 matchedIdentity = npm:QGNoZW0teC9jcmVhdGUtY2hlbXg:26.9.14-1358 similarity = 0.457 summary = stored previous version shares package body but lacks this dangerous source file

High

Previous Version Dangerous Delta

This package version adds a dangerous source file absent from the previous stored version; route for source-aware review.

cli/license.jsView on unpkg

cli/mcp/installer.jsView file

1Install-time code directly mutates a foreign AI-agent control surface: L20: export const mergeMcpServerConfig = (existingJsonString = '', serverDef = {}) => { L21: let parsed = { mcpServers: {} }; L22: ... L30: L31: const hasMcpServersObject = Boolean(parsed.mcpServers && typeof parsed.mcpServers === 'object'); L32: if (!hasMcpServersObject) { L33: parsed.mcpServers = {}; L34: } L35: L36: parsed.mcpServers[SERVER_KEY] = serverDef; L37: return JSON.stringify(parsed, null, 2) + '\n'; ... L90: const cursorDir = path.join(resolvedTarget, '.cursor'); Write operation from cli/mcp/installer.js: L20: export const mergeMcpServerConfig = (existingJsonString = '', serverDef = {}) => { L21: let parsed = { mcpServers: {} }; L22: ... L30: L31: const hasMcpServersObject = Boolean(parsed.mcpServers &

Critical

Ai Agent Control Hijack

Source creates an unconsented AI-agent control surface through install-time mutation or a default unauthenticated remote skill channel.

cli/mcp/installer.jsView on unpkg · L1

cli/scaffold.jsView file

•Runtime or CLI code links a write operation to an explicit external AI-agent control path: udes('--no-interactive') || boolean(process.env.ci) || process.stdout?.istty === false || process.stdin?.istty === false || boolean(process.argv?.some((arg) => arg === '--headless' || arg === '--ci' || arg === '--yes' || arg === '-y')); if (isheadless) { targetname = 'my-molecular-app'; } else { targetname = hasgum() ? guminput('project directory name:', 'my-molecular-app') : await promptquestion('project directory name [my-molecular-app]: '); } } const finaldirname = targetname.trim() || 'my-molecular-app'; const targetdir = path.resolve(process.cwd(), finaldirname); const direxists = fs.existssync(targetdir); const isdirno

High

External Ai Agent Control Surface Mutation

Runtime or CLI source writes behavior-bearing configuration into a user or project AI-agent control surface.

cli/scaffold.jsView on unpkg

•Manifest-trigger-reachable source links an external AI-agent control path to a behavior-bearing write operation. s = {}; if (!licensekey) { process.stdout.write( '\n\x1b[38;2;98;201;255m⚡ chemical x: community edition (free)\x1b[0m\n' + 'the community version is free because you tell us about your project\n' + 'and the app will automatically post your scorecard to our github discussions.\n' + 'you get a free plug, we get data to prove chemical x works and brings real value.\n' + 'everybody wins! thank you for supporting our community version.\n\n' ); files = loadlocalblueprintfiles(); iscommunity = true; } else { files = await fetchstarterkitfiles(licensekey); } let targetname = projectname; if (!targetname) { const isheadle

High

Trigger Reachable External Ai Agent Control Surface Mutation

Manifest-trigger-reachable source writes behavior-bearing configuration into a user or project AI-agent control surface.

scripts/pre-commit.shView file

•path = scripts/pre-commit.sh kind = build_helper sizeBytes = 5175 magicHex = [redacted]

Medium

Ships Build Helper

Package ships non-JavaScript build or shell helper files.

scripts/pre-commit.shView on unpkg

Source & flagged code

10 flagged · loading source

package.jsonView file

•scripts.postinstall = node cli/postinstall.js

High

Install Time Lifecycle Scripts

Package defines install-time lifecycle scripts.

package.jsonView on unpkg

•scripts.postinstall = node cli/postinstall.js

Medium

Ambiguous Install Lifecycle Script

Install-time lifecycle script is not statically allowlisted and needs review.

package.jsonView on unpkg

cli/audit-preflight-git.jsView file

1import fs from 'node:fs'; L2: import { spawnSync } from 'node:child_process'; L3:

High

Child Process

Package source references child process execution.

cli/audit-preflight-git.jsView on unpkg · L1

Findings

1 Critical7 High5 Medium4 Low

CriticalAi Agent Control Hijackcli/mcp/installer.js

HighInstall Time Lifecycle Scriptspackage.json

HighChild Processcli/audit-preflight-git.js

HighShellcli/terminal.js

HighSame File Env Network Executioncli/license.js

HighExternal Ai Agent Control Surface Mutationcli/scaffold.js

HighTrigger Reachable External Ai Agent Control Surface Mutationcli/scaffold.js

HighPrevious Version Dangerous Deltacli/license.js

MediumAmbiguous Install Lifecycle Scriptpackage.json

MediumNetwork

MediumEnvironment Vars

MediumShips Build Helperscripts/pre-commit.sh

Affected versions and remediation

This report applies to @chem-x/create-chemx@26.9.17-1100.

See all versions of @chem-x/create-chemx for other recorded verdicts.

Avoid installing @chem-x/create-chemx@26.9.17-1100. Remove it from direct dependencies and check your lockfile for transitive copies.
Choose an independently verified alternative or release. This report does not establish that other versions are safe.
If this version ran, investigate the affected machine and build environment. Rotate credentials it could access and rebuild from a trusted environment.

Evidence last updated: 2026-10-12 06:04:20.298Z (UTC).

Think this verdict is wrong? Dispute it on GitHub or read how reports are produced.

AI Security Review

Decision evidence

Source & flagged code

Source & flagged code

Findings

Affected versions and remediation

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Behavioral surface

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Source & flagged code