registry / AI-agent control-surface risk / @chem-x/starter-kit / 26.9.25-1337

@chem-x/starter-kit@26.9.25-1337

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

AI Security Review

scanned 11d ago · by lpm-firewall-ai

Source confirms unconsented postinstall mutation of foreign AI-agent configuration to register an MCP server. This meets the install-time control-surface blocking rule; no claim of credential theft or malicious author intent is needed.

Static reason

High-risk behavior combination matched malicious policy.

Trigger

Installing the package through npm in a consumer project.

Impact

AI-agent clients may load the newly registered server after installation, exposing its tools to those clients.

Mechanism

The postinstall script calls the MCP installer, which merges the server entry into project Cursor and VS Code config and an existing Antigravity user config.

Policy narrative

The manifest runs cli/postinstall.js, which targets the consumer working directory and unconditionally calls installAllMcpConfigs. That installer writes a Chemical X MCP server entry into project Cursor and VS Code configuration, and into Antigravity configuration when it exists. No consent check gates these writes. This creates an AI-agent control surface during package installation.

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 98.0% confidence with low false-positive risk.

Evidence for policy risk

The package postinstall hook runs automatically for consumer installs and calls the MCP configuration installer without a consent check.
The installer writes the package’s MCP server into project Cursor and VS Code configuration and, when present, the user’s Antigravity configuration.
The registered server runs this package’s MCP command or invokes npm to execute chemx, adding an AI-agent control surface during installation.
A separate interactive wizard also writes agent instructions, but does not gate the postinstall MCP configuration behavior.

Evidence against

The MCP setup is an evident product feature, but the source invokes it from postinstall rather than requiring an explicit setup command.

Behavioral surface

Source

ChildProcessEnvironmentVarsFilesystemNetworkShell

Supply chain

HighEntropyStringsUrlStrings

ManifestNo manifest risk signals triggered.

Source & flagged code

10 flagged

package.jsonView file

Lines 35-75json

35 ".": "./cli/index.js",

36 "./audit": "./cli/audit.js",

37 "./build": "./cli/build.js",

38 "./search": "./cli/search.js",

39 "./mcp": "./cli/mcp/index.js",

40 "./reader": "./cli/reader.js",

41 "./patcher": "./cli/patcher.js",

42 "./errors": "./cli/errors/index.js"

43 },

44 "scripts": {

45 "chemx": "node cli/index.js",

46 "bench": "node benchmarks/run-benchmark.mjs",

47 "ui": "node cli/index.js ui",

48 "dev:ui": "node cli/index.js ui --dev",

49 "dev:ui:watch": "node --watch --watch-path=cli cli/index.js ui --dev",

50 "test": "node --test cli/audit/*.spec.js cli/mcp/*.spec.js cli/build/*.spec.js cli/team/*.spec.js cli/errors/*.spec.js cli/*.spec.js",

51 "check:frameworks": "node scripts/check-framework-generation.mjs",

52 "prepublishOnly": "node scripts/check-framework-generation.mjs",

53 "typecheck": "tsc --noEmit",

54 "publish:both": "node scripts/publish-both.mjs",

55 "postinstall": "node cli/postinstall.js",

High

Install Time Lifecycle Scripts

Package defines install-time lifecycle scripts.

package.jsonView on unpkg · L55

Medium

Ambiguous Install Lifecycle Script

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

package.jsonView on unpkg · L55

56 "chemx:mcp": "chemx mcp",

57 "chemx:verify": "chemx verify",

58 "chemx:test": "chemx test",

59 "chemx:typecheck": "chemx typecheck"

60 },

61 "dependencies": {

62 "@babel/parser": "^7.29.8",

63 "@babel/traverse": "^7.29.8",

64 "@babel/types": "^7.29.8"

65 },

66 "devDependencies": {

67 "@types/babel__traverse": "^7.28.0",

68 "@types/node": "^22.20.2",

69 "@types/react": "^18.3.31",

70 "@types/react-dom": "^18.3.7",

71 "chemx": "26.9.20-408",

72 "react": "^18.3.1",

73 "react-dom": "^18.3.1",

74 "typescript": "^5.9.3"

75 }

cli/errors/errors.spec.jsView file

Lines 7-47javascript

7 maskSensitiveTokens,

8 normalizeHomePath,

9 sanitizeText,

10 sanitizeStackTrace

11} from './sanitizer.js';

12import {

13 buildIssueTitle,

14 buildIssueBody,

15 buildIssueWebUrl,

16 formatIssueContent

cli/audit-preflight-git.jsView file

Lines 1-21javascript

1import fs from 'node:fs';

2import { spawnSync } from 'node:child_process';

High

Child Process

Package source references child process execution.

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

4const SOURCE_FILE_PATTERN = /

cli/build/executor.jsView file

11const child = spawn(command, { L12: shell: true, L13: cwd,

High

Shell

Package source references shell execution.

cli/build/executor.jsView on unpkg · L11

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

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/pillars-wizard.jsView file

•Manifest-trigger-reachable source links an external AI-agent control path to a behavior-bearing write operation. st pick = usegum ? gumchoose(choices, 'select architectural pillars configuration') : await promptquestion('select pillars: [1=recommended, 2=strict, 3=custom, 4=minimal, 5=none] (default: 1): '); if (pick && (pick.startswith('2.') || pick === '2')) { selectedpresetkey = 'strict'; selectedpillarids = [...pillar_presets.strict.pillars]; } else if (pick && (pick.startswith('3.') || pick === '3')) { selectedpresetkey = 'custom'; for (const pillar of pillars) { const defaultchoice = pillar_presets.recommended.pillars.includes(pillar.id) ? 'y/n' : 'y/n'; const isdefaultyes = defaultchoice === 'y/n'; const answer = a

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.

cli/pillars-wizard.jsView on unpkg

scripts/pre-commit.shView file

•path = scripts/pre-commit.sh kind = build_helper sizeBytes = 5153 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/errors/errors.spec.jsView file

27patternName = github_pat severity = critical line = 27

Critical

Critical Secret

Package contains a critical-looking secret pattern.

cli/errors/errors.spec.jsView on unpkg · L27

Findings

3 Critical5 High5 Medium5 Low

CriticalCritical Secretcli/errors/errors.spec.js

CriticalAi Agent Control Hijackcli/mcp/installer.js

CriticalSecret Patterncli/errors/errors.spec.js

HighInstall Time Lifecycle Scriptspackage.json

HighChild Processcli/audit-preflight-git.js

HighShellcli/build/executor.js

HighSame File Env Network Executioncli/license.js

HighTrigger Reachable External Ai Agent Control Surface Mutationcli/pillars-wizard.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/starter-kit@26.9.25-1337.

See all versions of @chem-x/starter-kit for other recorded verdicts.

Avoid installing @chem-x/starter-kit@26.9.25-1337. 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 05:59:54.854Z (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

Related packages

More from @chem-x

Other AI-agent control-surface risk packages

Behavioral surface

Related packages

More from @chem-x

Other AI-agent control-surface risk packages

Source & flagged code