@cotal-ai/cli@0.128.4
Cotal mesh CLI: up, join, watch, console, spawn, mint, channels, history, ext.
AI Security Review
scanned 6d ago · by lpm-firewall-aiThe package sends runtime telemetry to its own service and provides opt-outs, but its notice does not disclose all fields in the daily install event. This is suspicious telemetry rather than a malicious credential or content exfiltration flow.
Static reason
One or more suspicious static signals were detected.; previous stored version diff introduced dangerous source
Trigger
Running an ordinary CLI command when telemetry is enabled; regular telemetry is the default if no settings exist.
Impact
Cotal receives runtime and environment metadata without the notice describing all transmitted fields.
Mechanism
The command dispatcher arms an exit hook that posts command and daily install events to Cotal's telemetry endpoint. The install event includes metadata not listed in the displayed telemetry notice.
AI rationale
The package sends runtime telemetry to its own service and provides opt-outs, but its notice does not disclose all fields in the daily install event. This is suspicious telemetry rather than a malicious credential or content exfiltration flow.
Evidence
dist/command.jsdist/telemetry.js.lpm-dependency-evidence-0f86903b-8e43-40aa-84ef-7338a7964c02/1/npm-linux/dist/telemetry.js~/.cotal/telemetry.json~/.cotal/idp-sessions.json
Network endpoints1
cotal.ai/v1/telemetry
Decision evidence
public snapshotAI called this Suspicious at 86.0% confidence as Unknown with medium false-positive risk.
Evidence for warning
- Ordinary command dispatch arms telemetry before running a command; absent settings are created at the regular level by default.
- The daily install event includes OS release, package manager, install method, extensions, runtimes, mesh count and hosted-mesh status.
- The one-time notice lists command names, outcomes, masked error text, version, OS and installed connectors, but omits several fields sent in the install event.
- Telemetry is posted to https://cotal.ai/v1/telemetry.
Evidence against
- The telemetry code says error text is scrubbed and command argument values and paths are not read.
- Telemetry can be disabled through its settings or environment variables, and failures are bounded and swallowed.
Behavioral surface
ChildProcessCryptoDynamicRequireEnvironmentVarsFilesystemNetworkShell
HighEntropyStringsUrlStrings
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@0.128.4.
See all versions of @cotal-ai/cli for other recorded verdicts.
- Review the evidence and your use of @cotal-ai/cli@0.128.4 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.