@cotal-ai/cli@0.130.1
Cotal mesh CLI: up, join, watch, console, spawn, mint, channels, history, ext.
AI Security Review
scanned 5d ago · by lpm-firewall-aiThe package sends runtime telemetry to its own service, including installation and mesh metadata, with regular reporting as the default. Because the notice is shown only in interactive terminals, the behavior is undisclosed in non-interactive runs; this warrants a warning, not a publish block.
Static reason
One or more suspicious static signals were detected.; source matched previously finalized malicious package; routed for review
Trigger
A normal CLI command, unless it is designated silent; telemetry is sent as the process exits.
Impact
Cotal receives usage and installation metadata, including extension/runtime inventory and mesh counts. No credential or command-value exfiltration was identified.
Mechanism
The CLI uses regular telemetry settings by default and posts command and install events to Cotal’s telemetry endpoint. The disclosure notice is conditional on stderr being a TTY.
AI rationale
The package sends runtime telemetry to its own service, including installation and mesh metadata, with regular reporting as the default. Because the notice is shown only in interactive terminals, the behavior is undisclosed in non-interactive runs; this warrants a warning, not a publish block.
Evidence
dist/command.jsdist/telemetry.js.lpm-dependency-evidence-39f25794-daec-453b-85b3-811fee469414/1/npm-linux/dist/telemetry.js~/.cotal/telemetry.json
Network endpoints1
cotal.ai/v1/telemetry
Decision evidence
public snapshotAI called this Suspicious at 88.0% confidence as Dangerous Capability with medium false-positive risk.
Evidence for warning
- The command dispatcher arms telemetry before running each command, except for designated silent commands.
- A new telemetry settings file defaults to regular reporting; the notice is printed only when stderr is a TTY, so non-interactive runs can report without that notice.
- Regular install events include OS release, connector and extension inventory, runtimes, mesh count, and whether a hosted mesh is registered.
- Telemetry goes to Cotal’s own endpoint, and the notice offers `cotal telemetry off` or `minimal` as controls.
Evidence against
- The notice says command arguments, paths, names, and content are not collected; the inspected telemetry code sends metadata rather than credentials or command values.
- There are no lifecycle scripts in the package manifest.
- The package-manager install and agent-skill reconciliation are part of the user-invoked setup command.
Behavioral surface
ChildProcessCryptoDynamicRequireEnvironmentVarsFilesystem
Source & flagged code
18 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
17 High4 Medium4 Low
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
HighKnown Malware Source Similaritydist/telemetry.js
HighKnown Malware Source Similaritydist/commands/up.js
HighKnown Malware Source Similaritydist/lib/self-exec.js
HighKnown Malware Source Similaritydist/lib/service-process.js
HighKnown Malware Source Similaritydist/commands/ext.js
HighKnown Malware Source Similaritydist/commands/setup-start.js
Affected versions and remediation
This report applies to @cotal-ai/cli@0.130.1.
See all versions of @cotal-ai/cli for other recorded verdicts.
- Review the evidence and your use of @cotal-ai/cli@0.130.1 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.