registry / @phnx-labs/agents-cli / 1.23.5

@phnx-labs/agents-cli@1.23.5

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 12d ago · by lpm-firewall-ai

The install hook can start or restart the package's own routines daemon, a guarded first-party lifecycle capability that warrants a warning. The inspected credential usage code sends provider tokens to the corresponding provider usage endpoint; no unrelated recipient or concrete attack behavior was established.

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

npm installation invokes the postinstall hook; the daemon behavior runs on macOS or Linux unless CI or AGENTS_NO_HEAL disables it.

Impact

A previously enabled daemon can be restarted during installation, and an enabled daemon may be started if it was not running.

Mechanism

The hook checks daemon state and configuration, then may stop and start the package daemon using this package's CLI binary.

AI rationale

Evidence

scripts/postinstall.js

Decision evidence

public snapshot

AI called this Suspicious at 84.0% confidence as Dangerous Capability with medium false-positive risk.

Evidence for warning

The package runs scripts/postinstall.js during installation.
The hook creates command shims and can adjust command resolution for the CLI.
On POSIX systems, the hook may restart a running routines daemon or start one when the daemon setting is enabled.
The hook skips POSIX path healing and daemon healing in CI or when AGENTS_NO_HEAL is set.
Usage accounting loads provider credentials and sends them to the corresponding provider usage endpoint.

Evidence against

Local installs print a setup command and exit before the global-install setup path.
Shell configuration is changed after an interactive prompt, except when AGENTS_INIT_SHELL explicitly enables setup.
The daemon action checks its enabled setting and is first-party CLI maintenance; inspected behavior does not establish a foreign agent-control write or credential exfiltration.

Behavioral surface

Source

ChildProcessCryptoDynamicRequireEnvironmentVarsFilesystemNetwork

Source & flagged code

24 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/bootstrap.jsView file

293if (answer === 'now') { L294: const { spawnSync } = await import('child_process'); L295: let spinner = ora('Resolving package metadata...').start();

High

Child Process

Package source references child process execution.

dist/bootstrap.jsView on unpkg · L293

•matchType = previous_version_dangerous_delta matchedPackage = @phnx-labs/agents-cli@1.22.127 matchedIdentity = npm:QHBobngtbGFicy9hZ2VudHMtY2xp:1.22.127 similarity = 0.825 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/bootstrap.jsView on unpkg

dist/session-tracker/dist/reader.jsView file

5import { STATE_DIR, parseState, stateFilePath } from './state-file.js'; L6: const execAsync = promisify(exec); L7: const PID_TREE_MAX_DEPTH = 5;

High

Shell

Package source references shell execution.

dist/session-tracker/dist/reader.jsView on unpkg · L5

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'; ... L26: function onDarwin() { L27: return process.platform === 'darwin'; L28: } L29: function installDir() { L30: return path.join(os.homedir(), 'Library', 'Application Support', INSTALL_DIR_NAME); L31: } ... L49: try { L50: const parsed = JSON.parse(raw); L51: 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/lib/daemon/testdata/process-view-start.jsView file

3import path from 'node:path'; L4: import net from 'node:net'; L5: import { spawn } from 'node:child_process'; L6: import { [redacted] } from '../../service-manifest.js'; ... L10: const cold = process.argv[3] === 'cold'; L11: const child = cold ? spawn('bun', [process.argv[4], '__daemon-run'], { stdio: 'ignore', env: process.env }) : undefined; L12: const started = child ? { pid: child.pid, method: 'detached' } : startDaemon(process.argv[2]);

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/lib/daemon/testdata/process-view-start.jsView on unpkg · L3

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: L38: const LOG_ROTATE_COUNT = 3; L39: const PLIST_NAME = 'com.phnx-labs.agents-daemon'; L40: const SYSTEMD_UNIT = 'agents-daemon.service'; ... L73: const dir = getDaemonDir(); L74: fs.mkdirSync(dir, { recursive: true }); L75: return dir; ... L152: export function writeDaemonPid(pid) { L153: fs.writeFileSync(getPidPath(), String(pid), 'utf-8'); L154: } ... L176: try { L177: fs.writeFileSync(getHeartbeatPath(), JSON.stringify(hb), 'utf-8'); L178: } 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 = 26

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/session/discover.jsView file

•matchType = token_shingles matchedPackage = @phnx-labs/agents-cli@1.22.109 matchedPath = dist/lib/session/discover.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/session/discover.jsView 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/loop.jsView file

•matchType = normalized_sha256 matchedPackage = @phnx-labs/agents-cli@1.22.53 matchedPath = dist/lib/loop.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/loop.jsView on unpkg

dist/lib/models.jsView file

•matchType = normalized_sha256 matchedPackage = @phnx-labs/agents-cli@1.22.109 matchedPath = dist/lib/models.js matchedIdentity = npm:QHBobngtbGFicy9hZ2VudHMtY2xp:1.22.109 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/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/auto-pull.jsView file

•matchType = normalized_sha256 matchedPackage = @phnx-labs/agents-cli@1.22.53 matchedPath = dist/lib/auto-pull.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/auto-pull.jsView on unpkg

dist/commands/message.jsView file

•matchType = token_shingles matchedPackage = @phnx-labs/agents-cli@1.22.53 matchedPath = dist/commands/message.js matchedIdentity = npm:QHBobngtbGFicy9hZ2VudHMtY2xp:1.22.53 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/commands/message.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

Source & flagged code

24 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/bootstrap.jsView file

293if (answer === 'now') { L294: const { spawnSync } = await import('child_process'); L295: let spinner = ora('Resolving package metadata...').start();

High

Child Process

Package source references child process execution.

dist/bootstrap.jsView on unpkg · L293

Findings

1 Critical18 High7 Medium6 Low

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

HighInstall Time Lifecycle Scriptspackage.json

HighChild Processdist/bootstrap.js

HighShelldist/session-tracker/dist/reader.js

HighSame File Env Network Executiondist/lib/daemon/testdata/process-view-start.js

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/session/discover.js

Affected versions and remediation

This report applies to @phnx-labs/agents-cli@1.23.5.

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

Review the evidence and your use of @phnx-labs/agents-cli@1.23.5 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: 2026-10-11 08:29:19.945Z (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