@cotal-ai/cli@0.124.2
Cotal mesh CLI: up, join, watch, console, spawn, mint, channels, history, ext.
AI Security Review
scanned 6d ago · by lpm-firewall-aiThe package’s command-triggered telemetry sends shell, terminal, OS-release, and installation details that its notice does not disclose. This is a warning-level telemetry issue; the reviewed source shows no install hook or automatic credential exfiltration.
Static reason
One or more suspicious static signals were detected.; previous stored version diff introduced dangerous source
Trigger
Running a recognized CLI command while telemetry is enabled; a daily install event is also sent at the regular level.
Impact
The publisher can receive and associate additional details about the user’s environment and Cotal installation beyond what the notice describes.
Mechanism
An exit hook posts telemetry events, including shell and terminal information and install-event details not listed in the telemetry notice.
AI rationale
The package’s command-triggered telemetry sends shell, terminal, OS-release, and installation details that its notice does not disclose. This is a warning-level telemetry issue; the reviewed source shows no install hook or automatic credential exfiltration.
Evidence
dist/telemetry.jsdist/command.js
Network endpoints1
cotal.ai/v1/telemetry
Decision evidence
public snapshotAI called this Suspicious at 87.0% confidence as Dangerous Capability with medium false-positive risk.
Evidence for warning
- The CLI arms telemetry for a recognized command unless telemetry is off; a notice is printed only for regular telemetry from a settings file in an interactive terminal.
- The regular command event includes shell and terminal details, which the notice does not mention.
- The daily install event includes OS release, extension and runtime names, mesh count, hosted-mesh status, and uptime, which the notice does not mention.
- Telemetry is posted to https://cotal.ai/v1/telemetry when the process exits.
- The manifest has no install lifecycle scripts; agent-skill reconciliation is reached through explicit setup behavior.
Evidence against
- The telemetry notice describes command names, outcomes, masked error text, version, OS, and installed connectors, and offers `cotal telemetry minimal` or `cotal telemetry off`.
- Telemetry values are sent in bounded exit-time requests, and send failures are swallowed.
- Feedback submits user-provided content only when the feedback command is explicitly run.
Behavioral surface
ChildProcess
Source & flagged code
7 flaggeddist/seed/reconcile.jsView file
1import { existsSync, renameSync } from "node:fs";
L2: import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
L3: import { randomBytes } from "node:crypto";
High
Child Process
Package source references child process execution.
dist/seed/reconcile.jsView on unpkg · L1dist/lib/persona-files.jsView file
274process.on(signal, pass);
L275: const child = program ? spawn(program, [draft], { stdio: "inherit" }) : spawn(`${editor} ${quoted}`, { shell: true, stdio: "inherit" });
L276: return new Promise(resolve => {
High
dist/lib/nats-bin.jsView file
Findings
1 Critical5 High4 Medium4 Low
CriticalPrevious Version Dangerous Deltadist/telemetry.js
HighChild Processdist/seed/reconcile.js
HighShelldist/lib/persona-files.js
HighTrigger Reachable External Ai Agent Control Surface Mutationdist/lib/agent-skills.js
HighRuntime Package Installdist/commands/setup.js
HighSemantic Analysis Limiteddist/commands/ext.js
MediumDynamic Requiredist/lib/nats-bin.js
MediumNetwork
MediumEnvironment Vars
MediumStructural Risk Force Deep Review
LowScripts Present
LowFilesystem
LowHigh Entropy Strings
LowUrl Strings
Affected versions and remediation
This report applies to @cotal-ai/cli@0.124.2.
See all versions of @cotal-ai/cli for other recorded verdicts.
- Review the evidence and your use of @cotal-ai/cli@0.124.2 before allowing it. Restrict the permissions described in this report.
- Choose an independently verified alternative or release. This report does not establish that other versions are safe.
Evidence last updated: .
Think this verdict is wrong? Dispute it on GitHub or read how reports are produced.