registry / Install hook abuse / @indigoai-us/hq-cli / 5.345.145

@indigoai-us/hq-cli@5.345.145

HQ by Indigo management CLI — modules and cloud sync

AI Security Review

scanned 6d ago · by lpm-firewall-ai

The reachable postinstall path installs a persistent user service without requiring the consumer to invoke the daemon-install command. This is concrete install-hook persistence, so the package should be blocked.

Static reason

High-risk behavior combination matched malicious policy.

Trigger

Installing the package through npm runs its postinstall hook.

Impact

The install modifies user service configuration and establishes automatic background execution without a separate daemon-install command.

Mechanism

The hook launches the package CLI with `mesh daemon install --if-stale`; a missing daemon version is considered stale, so the installer creates the service.

Attack narrative

An npm installation runs a postinstall script that invokes the HQ CLI daemon installer. When no daemon version is recorded, the installer treats the daemon as stale and installs a user service; on macOS the service is configured to run at load and remain alive. This is automatic persistence established by the package install hook.

AI rationale

Evidence

package.jsonscripts/mesh-daemon-if-stale.mjsdist/commands/mesh.jsdist/lib/mesh/live/daemon/install.js

Decision evidence

public snapshot

AI called this Malicious at 91.0% confidence as Malware with low false-positive risk.

Evidence for block

package.json defines a postinstall hook that runs the daemon helper.
The helper invokes the installed CLI to run `mesh daemon install --if-stale` during postinstall.
A missing daemon version record counts as stale, and the stale path installs the daemon service.
The macOS service is configured to start at load and stay alive.
When --if-stale is set, the daemon install handler calls installDaemonIfStale with the current CLI version, platform, and install paths.

Evidence against

The daemon is an advertised HQ mesh feature, and the postinstall helper skips staged updates.

Behavioral surface

Source

ChildProcessCryptoDynamicRequireEnvironmentVarsFilesystemNetworkShell

Supply chain

HighEntropyStringsMinifiedUrlStrings

ManifestNo manifest risk signals triggered.

scanned 970 file(s), 13.5 MB of source, external domains: 127.0.0.1, a.co, api.anthropic.com, api.github.com, api.indigo-hq.com, api.openai.com, api.slack.com, cli-chat-proxy.grok.com, console.anthropic.com, docs.hq.computer, example.com, github.com, gmailmcp.googleapis.com, hq.computer, hq.getindigo.ai, hq.indigo.ai, hqapi.hq.computer, json-schema.org, nodejs.org, onboarding.hq.computer, registry.npmjs.org, schemas.microsoft.com, www.apple.com

Source & flagged code

17 flagged

package.jsonView file

Lines 23-63json

23 "contracts",

24 "scripts/mesh-daemon-if-stale.mjs"

25 ],

26 "scripts": {

27 "build": "node scripts/generate-dsn.mjs && node scripts/build-flag-registry-worker.mjs && tsc && node scripts/generate-command-catalog.mjs --check && node scripts/copy-schemas.mjs && node scripts/chmod-bins.mjs && node scripts/bundle-sync-runner.mjs",

28 "prepublishOnly": "npm run build",

29 "pretypecheck": "node scripts/generate-dsn.mjs && node scripts/build-flag-registry-worker.mjs",

30 "typecheck": "tsc --noEmit && tsc --noEmit -p tsconfig.typetest.json",

31 "gen:scan-golden": "node scripts/generate-scan-packages-table.mjs > src/utils/__fixtures__/scan-packages.generated-block.sh",

32 "gen:command-catalog": "tsc && node scripts/generate-command-catalog.mjs",

33 "lint": "eslint .",

34 "pretest": "node scripts/generate-dsn.mjs && node scripts/build-flag-registry-worker.mjs",

35 "test": "vitest run",

36 "gen:hq-mcp-tools": "node scripts/generate-hq-mcp-tools.mjs",

37 "test:db": "vitest run src/lib/db test/commands/db.test.ts test/commands/db-tenant-isolation.test.ts",

38 "test:e2e": "vitest run --config vitest.e2e.config.ts",

39 "coverage": "vitest run --coverage --coverage.reporter=text-summary --coverage.reporter=json-summary",

40 "check:lanes-module-cycles": "node scripts/check-lanes-module-cycles.mjs",

41 "vitest": "vitest",

42 "clean": "rm -rf dist",

43 "postinstall": "node scripts/mesh-daemon-if-stale.mjs || true",

High

Install Time Lifecycle Scripts

Package defines install-time lifecycle scripts.

package.jsonView on unpkg · L43

Medium

Ambiguous Install Lifecycle Script

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

package.jsonView on unpkg · L43

44 "prepare": "husky || true",

45 "check:no-hermes": "bash scripts/check-no-hermes.sh"

46 },

47 "dependencies": {

48 "@aws-sdk/client-iot-data-plane": "^3.1096.0",

49 "@aws-sdk/client-s3": "^3.1049.0",

50 "@aws-sdk/dsql-signer": "^3.1146.0",

51 "@indigoai-us/hq-cloud": "~6.18.82",

52 "@indigoai-us/hq-flags-client": "^0.1.2",

53 "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk": "1.29.0",

54 "@sentry/node": "^10.49.0",

55 "@tobilu/qmd": "2.5.3",

56 "ajv": "^8.20.0",

57 "better-sqlite3": "^12.11.1",

58 "chalk": "^5.3.0",

59 "commander": "^12.1.0",

60 "js-yaml": "^4.1.0",

61 "mqtt": "5.15.2",

62 "open": "^10.1.0",

63 "pg": "^8.23.1",

dist/startup-registration.jsView file

Lines 1-38javascript

1/**

2 * The command-registration recovery seam for the "install tree torn out from

3 * under a starting `hq`" condition (Sentry HQ-CLI-1G/1H/1J/1K).

4 *

5 * `runCli` registers commands as its last step before `program.parseAsync()` —

6 * the lazy command import or `import("./register-all.js")` and everything those

7 * pull in. That is the ONE place a module-resolution failure is provably safe to

8 * recover from: it is inside hq-cli's own graph, it runs before `parseAsync` and

9 * before the preAction hook, so no command action, telemetry, or stdin read has

dist/utils/staged-install.jsView file

Lines 316-346javascript

316 if (result.status !== 0)

317 return null;

318 const lines = (result.stdout ?? "").trim().

dist/utils/update-command-supervisor.cjsView file

Lines 1-22javascript

1"use strict";

3const { spawn: nativeSpawn } = require("node:child_process");

4const fs = require("node:fs");

dist/lib/daemon/sync-runner.jsView file

Lines 1-22javascript

1/** Local status and resource controls shared by the daemon and its sync runner. */

2import * as crypto from "node:crypto";

3import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";

4import * as fs

dist/lib/mesh/live/daemon/install.jsView file

Lines 1-27javascript

1/**

2 * User-level service install for hq mesh daemon.

3 *

4 * - macOS: LaunchAgent ai.getindigo.hq-mesh-daemon

5 * - Linux: systemd user unit hq-mesh-daemon.service

6 * (documented fallback: root-owned unit running as ec2-user)

7 * - Windows: per-user Scheduled Task ai.getindigo.hq-mesh-daemon registered

8 * from a rendered task XML via schtasks.exe (no native dependencies)

9 *

10 * The unit embeds the hq binary resolved at install time. Logs go to

dist/commands/rescue.js#virtual:normalized:round1View file

1import { spawnSync } from "child_process"; L2: import * as fs from "fs"; ... L11: /** L12: * Resolve the source repo + ref from the user"s flags. Pure + exported for\n * tests. `latestTag` is the resolved latest release tag (prod only); ignored\n * for staging and when a... L13: if (!ref) {

High

Same File Env Network Execution

A single source file combines environment access, network access, and code or shell execution; review context before blocking.

dist/commands/rescue.js#virtual:normalized:round1View on unpkg · L1

High

Command Output Exfiltration

Source combines command execution, command-output handling, and outbound requests; review data flow before blocking.

dist/commands/rescue.js#virtual:normalized:round1View on unpkg · L1

dist/lib/capacity/collectors/claude-oauth.jsView file

6* or the credentials JSON under ~/.claude/ on Linux). GETs L7: * https://api.anthropic.com/api/oauth/usage with the oauth-2025-04-20 beta L8: * header. This module does not invoke the claude CLI except ... L31: */ L32: import { execFile, spawnSync } from "node:child_process"; L33: import * as crypto from "node:crypto"; ... L81: } L82: export function defaultClaudeCredentialsPath(home = os.homedir()) { L83: return path.join(home, ".claude", ".credentials.json"); ... L279: retryAfter = response.headers?.get("retry-after") ?? null; L280: text = status === 200 ? await response.text() : ""; L281: }

Critical

Credential Exfiltration

Source appears to send environment or credential material to an external endpoint.

dist/lib/capacity/collectors/claude-oauth.jsView on unpkg · L6

dist/lib/lanes/machine-identity.jsView file

11*/ L12: import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process"; L13: import * as os from "node:os"; L14: export const IMDS_HOST = "169.254.169.254"; L15: export const IMDS_TOKEN_URL = `http://${IMDS_HOST}/latest/api/token`; L16: export const IMDS_INSTANCE_ID_URL = `http://${IMDS_HOST}/latest/meta-data/instance-id`; ... L30: return null; L31: const body = (result.stdout ?? "").trim(); L32: return body.length > 0 ? body : null; ... L34: catch (err) { L35: process.stderr.write(`hq lanes: IMDS request failed for ${url}: ${err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)}\n`); L36: return null;

High

Cloud Metadata Access

Source reaches cloud instance metadata or link-local credential endpoints.

dist/lib/lanes/machine-identity.jsView on unpkg · L11

assets/lanes-hooks/hq-lanes-drain.shView file

•path = assets/lanes-hooks/hq-lanes-drain.sh kind = build_helper sizeBytes = 620 magicHex = [redacted]

Medium

Ships Build Helper

Package ships non-JavaScript build or shell helper files.

assets/lanes-hooks/hq-lanes-drain.shView on unpkg

assets/scaffold/.claude/hooks/validate-policy-frontmatter.shView file

•path = assets/scaffold/.claude/hooks/validate-policy-frontmatter.sh kind = payload_in_excluded_dir sizeBytes = 21475 magicHex = [redacted]

High

Payload In Excluded Dir

Package hides binary, compressed, or executable-looking payloads in test/fixture/hidden paths.

assets/scaffold/.claude/hooks/validate-policy-frontmatter.shView on unpkg

dist/hq-cloud-sync-runner/bin/sync-runner.jsView file

•path = dist/hq-cloud-sync-runner/bin/sync-runner.js kind = oversized_source_file sizeBytes = 6171856 magicHex = [redacted]

Medium

Oversized Source File

Package contains source files above the normal full-analysis size ceiling.

dist/hq-cloud-sync-runner/bin/sync-runner.jsView on unpkg

•path = dist/hq-cloud-sync-runner/bin/sync-runner.js kind = oversized_cli_entrypoint sizeBytes = 6171856 magicHex = [redacted]

Medium

Oversized Cli Entrypoint

Package contains an oversized executable-looking CLI entrypoint.

dist/hq-cloud-sync-runner/bin/sync-runner.jsView on unpkg

assets/scaffold/core/scripts/lib/codex-output-schema.mjs#virtual:normalized:round1View file

•stage = ast_semantic_analysis; reason = ast_parse_error; limitedFiles = 44

High

Semantic Analysis Limited

A bounded semantic-analysis stage reached its safety limit; remaining detectors completed, but this package requires AI review.

assets/scaffold/core/scripts/lib/codex-output-schema.mjs#virtual:normalized:round1View on unpkg

Source & flagged code

17 flagged · loading source

package.jsonView file

•scripts.postinstall = node scripts/mesh-daemon-if-stale.mjs || true

High

Install Time Lifecycle Scripts

Package defines install-time lifecycle scripts.

package.jsonView on unpkg

•scripts.postinstall = node scripts/mesh-daemon-if-stale.mjs || true

Medium

Ambiguous Install Lifecycle Script

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

package.jsonView on unpkg

dist/startup-registration.jsView file

18*/ L19: import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process"; L20: import { stringDerivedPackageRoot } from "./utils/hq-roots.js";

High

Child Process

Package source references child process execution.

dist/startup-registration.jsView on unpkg · L18

Findings

1 Critical9 High9 Medium6 Low

CriticalCredential Exfiltrationdist/lib/capacity/collectors/claude-oauth.js

HighInstall Time Lifecycle Scriptspackage.json

HighChild Processdist/startup-registration.js

HighShelldist/utils/staged-install.js

HighSame File Env Network Executiondist/commands/rescue.js#virtual:normalized:round1

HighCommand Output Exfiltrationdist/commands/rescue.js#virtual:normalized:round1

HighCloud Metadata Accessdist/lib/lanes/machine-identity.js

HighTrigger Reachable Persistencedist/lib/mesh/live/daemon/install.js

HighPayload In Excluded Dirassets/scaffold/.claude/hooks/validate-policy-frontmatter.sh

HighSemantic Analysis Limitedassets/scaffold/core/scripts/lib/codex-output-schema.mjs#virtual:normalized:round1

Affected versions and remediation

This report applies to @indigoai-us/hq-cli@5.345.145.

See all versions of @indigoai-us/hq-cli for other recorded verdicts.

Avoid installing @indigoai-us/hq-cli@5.345.145. 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: 2026-10-17 05:31:57.066Z (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 @indigoai-us

Other install hook abuse packages

Behavioral surface

Related packages

More from @indigoai-us

Other install hook abuse packages

Source & flagged code