registry / @phnx-labs/agents-cli / 1.23.40

@phnx-labs/agents-cli@1.23.40

One CLI for all your AI coding agents - versions, config, cloud dispatch, sessions, and teams (now with first-class Grok Build CLI support)

AI Security Review

scanned 3d ago · by lpm-firewall-ai

Global installation can automatically start the package’s persistent daemon, while configuration and environment guards can suppress it. This warrants a warning for package-owned agent lifecycle behavior; the inspected source does not establish a concrete malicious attack.

Static reason

High-risk behavior combination matched malicious policy.; source matched previously finalized malicious package; routed for review; previous stored version diff introduced dangerous source

Trigger

Global npm installation on macOS or Linux when CI and AGENTS_NO_HEAL guards do not apply and the daemon setting is not false.

Impact

The package’s daemon may continue running in the background after installation.

Mechanism

The postinstall hook starts or restarts the daemon; Linux service setup enables and starts a user service.

AI rationale

Evidence

scripts/postinstall.jsdist/lib/device-config.jsdist/lib/daemon/daemon.js

Decision evidence

public snapshot

AI called this Suspicious at 83.0% confidence as Dangerous Capability with medium false-positive risk.

Evidence for warning

The manifest runs a postinstall hook that starts the package’s setup script.
On global installs, the hook starts or restarts the daemon on macOS and Linux unless the CI or no-heal guard applies.
The daemon setting is enabled unless explicitly set to false, and Linux startup enables and starts a user service.
The inspected redaction operation replaces known secret values; session presentation applies redaction to session content by default.

Evidence against

Local installs exit before daemon setup, and the daemon can be disabled with configuration or the no-heal environment flag.
The inspected paths show package-owned daemon setup and secret redaction, with no confirmed hostile remote control or credential transfer.

Behavioral surface

Source

ChildProcessCryptoDynamicRequireEnvironmentVarsFilesystemNetworkShell

Supply chain

HighEntropyStrings

Source & flagged code

17 flagged

package.jsonView file

•scripts.postinstall = node scripts/postinstall.js

High

Install Time Lifecycle Scripts

Package defines install-time lifecycle scripts.

package.jsonView on unpkg

•scripts.postinstall = node scripts/postinstall.js

Medium

Ambiguous Install Lifecycle Script

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

package.jsonView on unpkg

dist/lib/sqlite.jsView file

2const isBun = typeof globalThis.Bun !== 'undefined'; L3: const require = createRequire(import.meta.url); L4: function loadNodeSqlite() {

Medium

Dynamic Require

Package source references dynamic require/import behavior.

dist/lib/sqlite.jsView on unpkg · L2

dist/lib/platform/ipc.jsView file

1import * as crypto from 'crypto'; L2: export function ipcEndpoint(socketPath, platform = process.platform) { L3: if (platform === 'win32') {

Low

Weak Crypto

Package source references weak cryptographic algorithms.

dist/lib/platform/ipc.jsView on unpkg · L1

dist/lib/menubar/install-menubar.jsView file

1import { fileURLToPath } from 'url'; L2: import { execFileSync, spawnSync, spawn } from 'child_process'; L3: import * as fs from 'fs'; ... L27: function onDarwin() { L28: return process.platform === 'darwin'; L29: } L30: function installDir() { L31: return path.join(os.homedir(), 'Library', 'Application Support', INSTALL_DIR_NAME); L32: } ... L50: try { L51: const parsed = JSON.parse(raw); L52: if (parsed && (parsed.source === 'release' || parsed.source === 'local'))

Medium

Install Persistence

Source writes installer persistence such as shell profile or service configuration.

dist/lib/menubar/install-menubar.jsView on unpkg · L1

dist/commands/setup-fleet.jsView file

1import chalk from 'chalk'; L2: import { spawnSync } from 'node:child_process'; L3: import { getCliLaunch } from '../lib/cli-entry.js'; ... L17: const launch = getCliLaunch(args); L18: const res = spawnSync(launch.command, launch.args, { stdio: 'inherit', env: process.env }); L19: if ((res.status ?? 1) === 0) ... L42: console.error(chalk.red('Tailscale is not installed or not on PATH.')); L43: const platform = process.platform; L44: console.log(chalk.bold('\nInstall Tailscale, then re-run `agents setup fleet`:')); ... L46: console.log(chalk.cyan(' brew install --cask tailscale')); L47: console.log(chalk.gray(' or install from https://tailscale.com/download/mac')); L48: }

High

Sandbox Evasion Gated Capability

Source gates dangerous network, credential, or execution behavior behind CI, host, platform, time, or geo fingerprint checks.

dist/commands/setup-fleet.jsView on unpkg · L1

•matchType = normalized_sha256 matchedPackage = @phnx-labs/agents-cli@1.22.53 matchedPath = dist/commands/setup-fleet.js matchedIdentity = npm:QHBobngtbGFicy9hZ2VudHMtY2xp:1.22.53 similarity = 1.000 summary = normalized source hash matched finalized malicious source

High

Known Malware Source Similarity

Source file is highly similar to a previously finalized malicious package; route for source-aware review.

dist/commands/setup-fleet.jsView on unpkg

dist/lib/daemon/daemon.jsView file

11Install-time code directly mutates a foreign AI-agent control surface: L29: const LOG_ROTATE_COUNT = 3; L30: const PLIST_NAME = 'com.phnx-labs.agents-daemon'; L31: const SYSTEMD_UNIT = 'agents-daemon.service'; ... L59: const dir = getDaemonDir(); L60: fs.mkdirSync(dir, { recursive: true }); L61: return dir; ... L138: export function writeDaemonPid(pid) { L139: fs.writeFileSync(getPidPath(), String(pid), 'utf-8'); L140: } ... L162: try { L163: fs.writeFileSync(getHeartbeatPath(), JSON.stringify(hb), 'utf-8'); L164: } Write operation from scripts/postinstall.js: L11: const HOME = os.homedir(); L12: const USER_DIR = path.join(HOME, '.agents'); L13: const SHIMS_DIR = path.join(USER_DIR, '.cache', 'shims'); ... L67: const script = `#!/bin/sh\nAGENTS_BIN=${shellQuote(AGENTS_BIN)}\nif [ -z "$AGEN

Critical

Ai Agent Control Hijack

Source creates an unconsented AI-agent control surface through install-time mutation or a default unauthenticated remote skill channel.

dist/lib/daemon/daemon.jsView on unpkg · L11

dist/lib/state.jsView file

•Manifest-trigger-reachable source links an external AI-agent control path to a behavior-bearing write operation. import * as fs from 'fs'; import * as path from 'path'; import * as os from 'os'; import * as yaml from 'yaml'; import { stringifydoc } from './yaml-io.js'; import { execfilesync } from 'child_process'; import { ensurelocktarget, atomicwritefilesync, withfilelock } from './fs-atomic.js'; import { default_system_repo, systemreposlug } from './types.js'; import { machineid } from './machine-id.js'; const home = process.env.home ?? os.homedir(); function issamepath(a, b) { try { return fs.realpathsync.native(a) === fs.realpathsync.native(b); } catch { const norm = (p) => process.platform === 'win32' ? path.resolve(p).tolowercase() : path.resolve(p);

High

Trigger Reachable External Ai Agent Control Surface Mutation

Manifest-trigger-reachable source writes behavior-bearing configuration into a user or project AI-agent control surface.

dist/lib/state.jsView on unpkg

scripts/postinstall.jsView file

7Trigger-reachable persistence chain: scripts.postinstall -> scripts/postinstall.js L7: import * as readline from 'readline'; L8: import { spawnSync } from 'child_process'; L9: import { fileURLToPath } from 'url'; L10: L11: const HOME = os.homedir(); L12: const USER_DIR = path.join(HOME, '.agents'); ... L19: function resolveAgentsBin() { L20: if (process.platform !== 'darwin') return AGENTS_JS_ENTRYPOINT; L21: try { ... L66: const target = path.join(SHIMS_DIR, name); L67: const script = `#!/bin/sh\nAGENTS_BIN=${shellQuote(AGENTS_BIN)}\nif [ -z "$AGENTS_BIN" ] || [ ! -x "$AGENTS_BIN" ]; then\n echo "agents: agents-cli entrypoint missing or not execu... L68: fs.writeFileSync(target, script, { mode: 0o755 });

High

Trigger Reachable Persistence

A manifest entrypoint or package-local install chain reaches persistence behavior.

scripts/postinstall.jsView on unpkg · L7

dist/session-tracker/dist/hook.shView file

•path = dist/session-tracker/dist/hook.sh kind = build_helper sizeBytes = 4499 magicHex = [redacted]

Medium

Ships Build Helper

Package ships non-JavaScript build or shell helper files.

dist/session-tracker/dist/hook.shView on unpkg

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

•stage = ast_semantic_analysis; reason = ast_parse_error; limitedFiles = 23

High

Semantic Analysis Limited

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

dist/commands/daemon.js#virtual:normalized:round1View on unpkg

dist/lib/tmux/binary.jsView file

•matchType = normalized_sha256 matchedPackage = @phnx-labs/agents-cli@1.22.53 matchedPath = dist/lib/tmux/binary.js matchedIdentity = npm:QHBobngtbGFicy9hZ2VudHMtY2xp:1.22.53 similarity = 1.000 summary = normalized source hash matched finalized malicious source

High

Known Malware Source Similarity

Source file is highly similar to a previously finalized malicious package; route for source-aware review.

dist/lib/tmux/binary.jsView on unpkg

dist/lib/models.jsView file

•matchType = token_shingles matchedPackage = @phnx-labs/agents-cli@1.22.109 matchedPath = dist/lib/models.js matchedIdentity = npm:QHBobngtbGFicy9hZ2VudHMtY2xp:1.22.109 similarity = 1.000 shingleOverlap = 48 summary = source token shingles overlapped finalized malicious source

High

Known Malware Source Similarity

Source file is highly similar to a previously finalized malicious package; route for source-aware review.

dist/lib/models.jsView on unpkg

dist/lib/session/provenance.jsView file

•matchType = normalized_sha256 matchedPackage = @phnx-labs/agents-cli@1.22.53 matchedPath = dist/lib/session/provenance.js matchedIdentity = npm:QHBobngtbGFicy9hZ2VudHMtY2xp:1.22.53 similarity = 1.000 summary = normalized source hash matched finalized malicious source

High

Known Malware Source Similarity

Source file is highly similar to a previously finalized malicious package; route for source-aware review.

dist/lib/session/provenance.jsView on unpkg

dist/lib/teams/forEach.jsView file

•matchType = normalized_sha256 matchedPackage = @phnx-labs/agents-cli@1.22.53 matchedPath = dist/lib/teams/forEach.js matchedIdentity = npm:QHBobngtbGFicy9hZ2VudHMtY2xp:1.22.53 similarity = 1.000 summary = normalized source hash matched finalized malicious source

High

Known Malware Source Similarity

Source file is highly similar to a previously finalized malicious package; route for source-aware review.

dist/lib/teams/forEach.jsView on unpkg

dist/commands/setup.jsView file

•matchType = previous_version_dangerous_delta matchedPackage = @phnx-labs/agents-cli@1.23.32 matchedIdentity = npm:QHBobngtbGFicy9hZ2VudHMtY2xp:1.23.32 similarity = 0.858 summary = stored previous version shares package body but lacks this dangerous source file

High

Previous Version Dangerous Delta

This package version adds a dangerous source file absent from the previous stored version; route for source-aware review.

dist/commands/setup.jsView on unpkg

Source & flagged code

17 flagged · loading source

package.jsonView file

•scripts.postinstall = node scripts/postinstall.js

High

Install Time Lifecycle Scripts

Package defines install-time lifecycle scripts.

package.jsonView on unpkg

•scripts.postinstall = node scripts/postinstall.js

Medium

Ambiguous Install Lifecycle Script

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

package.jsonView on unpkg

dist/lib/sqlite.jsView file

2const isBun = typeof globalThis.Bun !== 'undefined'; L3: const require = createRequire(import.meta.url); L4: function loadNodeSqlite() {

Medium

Dynamic Require

Package source references dynamic require/import behavior.

dist/lib/sqlite.jsView on unpkg · L2

Findings

1 Critical11 High7 Medium6 Low

CriticalAi Agent Control Hijackdist/lib/daemon/daemon.js

HighInstall Time Lifecycle Scriptspackage.json

HighSandbox Evasion Gated Capabilitydist/commands/setup-fleet.js

HighTrigger Reachable External Ai Agent Control Surface Mutationdist/lib/state.js

HighTrigger Reachable Persistencescripts/postinstall.js

HighSemantic Analysis Limiteddist/commands/daemon.js#virtual:normalized:round1

HighKnown Malware Source Similaritydist/lib/tmux/binary.js

HighKnown Malware Source Similaritydist/lib/models.js

HighKnown Malware Source Similaritydist/lib/session/provenance.js

HighKnown Malware Source Similaritydist/commands/setup-fleet.js

Affected versions and remediation

This report applies to @phnx-labs/agents-cli@1.23.40.

See all versions of @phnx-labs/agents-cli for other recorded verdicts.

Review the evidence and your use of @phnx-labs/agents-cli@1.23.40 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: 2026-10-20 01:40:54.314Z (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

Runtime surface

Behavioral surface

Source & flagged code