@factory/cli@1.2.0
Factory Droid CLI - AI-powered software engineering agent
AI Security Review
scanned 2d ago · by lpm-firewall-aiThe automatic install fallback forwards NPM_TOKEN based on a substring hostname check, while the destination comes from registry metadata or redirects. A lookalike external host can therefore receive the installer's npm credential.
Static reason
One or more suspicious static signals were detected.
Trigger
Install when the optional platform binary is unavailable and NPM_TOKEN is set.
Impact
An attacker controlling the destination can obtain the installer's npm token.
Mechanism
install.js obtains a tarball URL from npm metadata and follows redirects. Its hostname check uses includes('npmjs.org'), so a crafted tarball or redirect hostname containing that substring receives the Bearer token.
Attack narrative
The postinstall hook falls back to downloading the platform binary when the optional dependency is missing. It obtains the tarball URL from npm metadata and follows redirects. Because it attaches NPM_TOKEN to any hostname containing “npmjs.org,” a crafted lookalike destination can receive the installer's npm bearer token.
AI rationale
The automatic install fallback forwards NPM_TOKEN based on a substring hostname check, while the destination comes from registry metadata or redirects. A lookalike external host can therefore receive the installer's npm credential.
Evidence
package.jsoninstall.jsbin/droid
Network endpoints2
registry.npmjs.orgRedirect and tarball hosts whose hostname contains 'npmjs.org'
Decision evidence
public snapshotAI called this Malicious at 87.0% confidence as Malware with low false-positive risk.
Evidence for block
- The manifest runs install.js automatically as a postinstall hook.
- install.js reads NPM_TOKEN and adds it as a Bearer token when the parsed hostname contains the substring npmjs.org.
- The request helper follows redirects by calling makeRequest with the redirect's Location URL, applying the same token logic again.
- The fallback obtains a tarball URL from npm registry metadata and requests that URL; the host is not restricted to registry.npmjs.org.
- This credential-forwarding path runs during postinstall when the optional platform binary is missing.
Evidence against
- The fallback is intended to download this CLI's platform binary from npm, and normally is used only when the optional dependency is unavailable.
- The token is only added when a hostname contains npmjs.org; ordinary requests to registry.npmjs.org are expected npm traffic.
Behavioral surface
ChildProcessEnvironmentVarsFilesystemNetworkShell
Source & flagged code
7 flaggedpackage.jsonView file
•scripts.postinstall = node install.js
High
Install Time Lifecycle Scripts
Package defines install-time lifecycle scripts.
package.jsonView on unpkg9scripts.postinstall = node install.js
Install-time code downloads an unverified remote native executable, stages it locally, activates an executable path, and exposes it to process execution.
L9: *
L10: * Based on esbuild's approach: https://github.com/evanw/esbuild/pull/1621
L11: * and Sentry's guide: https://sentry.engineering/blog/publishing-binaries-on-npm
L12: *
...
L19: const path = require('path');
L20: const https = require('https');
L21: const zlib = require('zlib');
...
L27: getBinaryName,
L28: getBinaryPath,
L29: detectAVX2Support,
...
L50:
L51: function validateBinaryVersion(binaryPath) {
High
Unverified Remote Native Payload Install
Install-time source downloads a native archive from a fixed external host without transport verification, extracts it, and installs an executable payload.
package.jsonView on unpkg · L9•scripts.postinstall = node install.js
Medium
Ambiguous Install Lifecycle Script
Install-time lifecycle script is not statically allowlisted and needs review.
Findings
6 High4 Medium5 Low
HighInstall Time Lifecycle Scriptspackage.json
HighChild Processinstall.js
HighShellinstall.js
HighSame File Env Network Executioninstall.js#virtual:normalized:round1
HighUnverified Remote Native Payload Installpackage.json
HighSemantic Analysis Limitedinstall.js#virtual:normalized:round1
MediumAmbiguous Install Lifecycle Scriptpackage.json
MediumNetwork
MediumEnvironment Vars
MediumStructural Risk Force Deep Review
LowScripts Present
LowFilesystem
LowHigh Entropy Strings
LowUrl Strings
Low
Affected versions and remediation
This report applies to @factory/cli@1.2.0.
See all versions of @factory/cli for other recorded verdicts.
- Avoid installing @factory/cli@1.2.0. 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: .
Think this verdict is wrong? Dispute it on GitHub or read how reports are produced.