registry / Remote code execution / @sciagent/cli / 1.0.83

@sciagent/cli@1.0.83

SciAgent CLI - AI Research Assistant

AI Security Review

scanned 3mo ago · by lpm-firewall-ai

The package performs unconsented install-time global package installation and unverified executable staging, creating material remote-code risk. Source inspection does not prove an active malicious objective, so a warning is more proportionate than a block under the stated policy.

Static reason

One or more suspicious static signals were detected.; previous stored version diff introduced dangerous source

Trigger

npm postinstall; subsequent `sciagent` invocation when no valid local binary is found.

Impact

A compromised configured download server or upstream package can supply code that runs with the installing user's privileges.

Mechanism

Unverified remote binary download, global dependency installation, and execution wrapper creation.

AI rationale

Evidence

package.jsonscripts/postinstall.jsbin/sciagent.js~/.sciagent/bin/sciagent~/.sciagent/bin/codebuddy-headless~/.sciagent/bin/.version%LOCALAPPDATA%\sciagent\bin\sciagent.exe

Network endpoints4

jihulab.com/api/v4/projects/351778/packages/generic/sciagent/...u250924-a855-2700b625.westb.seetacloud.com:8443/api/releases/download/...pypi.org/pypi/codebuddy-agent-sdk/jsonmirrors.cloud.tencent.com/pypi/pypi/codebuddy-agent-sdk/json

Decision evidence

public snapshot

AI called this Suspicious at 94.0% confidence as Dangerous Capability with low false-positive risk.

Evidence for warning

`package.json` runs `node scripts/postinstall.js` automatically.
`scripts/postinstall.js` downloads native CLI and CodeBuddy binaries during postinstall without signature/hash verification.
Postinstall executes `npm install -g @tencent-ai/codebuddy-code` and writes executable wrappers under the user profile.
`bin/sciagent.js` re-downloads an executable via curl/PowerShell when the CLI runs, then executes it.
Downloaded payloads are accepted by size only and come from mutable remote endpoints.

Evidence against

No source reads environment secrets, SSH files, browser data, or credentials for exfiltration.
No observed AI-agent configuration/control-surface mutation outside the package-owned `.sciagent` directory.
No persistence beyond package-owned binaries, wrappers, and version marker.
No obfuscation, eval/vm, or unrelated destructive file operations found.

Behavioral surface

Source

ChildProcessEnvironmentVarsFilesystemNetworkShell

Source & flagged code

6 flagged

package.jsonView file

Lines 1-35json

2 "name": "@sciagent/cli",

3 "version": "1.0.83",

4 "description": "SciAgent CLI - AI Research Assistant",

5 "main": "index.js",

6 "files": [

7 "bin/",

8 "scripts/",

9 "index.js"

10 ],

11 "bin": {

12 "sciagent": "bin/sciagent.js"

13 },

14 "scripts": {

15 "postinstall": "node scripts/postinstall.js"

High

Install Time Lifecycle Scripts

Package defines install-time lifecycle scripts.

package.jsonView on unpkg · L15

Medium

Ambiguous Install Lifecycle Script

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

package.jsonView on unpkg · L15

16 },

17 "optionalDependencies": {

18 "@sciagent/cli-linux-x64": "1.0.83",

19 "@sciagent/cli-linux-arm64": "1.0.83",

20 "@sciagent/cli-darwin-x64": "1.0.83",

21 "@sciagent/cli-darwin-arm64": "1.0.83",

22 "@sciagent/cli-win32-x64": "1.0.83",

23 "@sciagent/cli-win32-arm64": "1.0.83"

24 },

25 "keywords": [

26 "ai",

27 "research",

28 "agent",

29 "cli",

30 "codebuddy"

31 ],

32 "author": "SciAgent Team",

33 "license": "MIT",

34 "repository": {

35 "type": "git",

bin/sciagent.jsView file

Lines 1-27javascript

1#!/usr/bin/env node

3/**

4 * SciAgent CLI 薄壳脚本

5 * 自动识别平台并调用对应的预编译二进制文件

6 */

8const { spawn, execSync } = require('child_process');

scripts/postinstall.jsView file

Lines 407-447javascript

407 timeout: 120000

408 });

409 }

410

411 if (fs.existsSync(targetPath)) {

412 const stats = fs.statSync(targetPath);

Source & flagged code

6 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

bin/sciagent.jsView file

•matchType = previous_version_dangerous_delta matchedPackage = @sciagent/cli@1.0.82 matchedIdentity = npm:QHNjaWFnZW50L2NsaQ:1.0.82 similarity = 0.667 summary = stored previous version shares package body but lacks this dangerous source file

Critical

Previous Version Dangerous Delta

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

bin/sciagent.js

Findings

1 Critical5 High4 Medium4 Low

CriticalPrevious Version Dangerous Deltabin/sciagent.js

HighInstall Time Lifecycle Scriptspackage.json

HighChild Processbin/sciagent.js

HighShell

HighSandbox Evasion Gated Capabilitybin/sciagent.js

HighRuntime Package Installscripts/postinstall.js

MediumAmbiguous Install Lifecycle Scriptpackage.json

MediumNetwork

MediumEnvironment Vars

MediumStructural Risk Force Deep Review

LowScripts Present

LowFilesystem

LowHigh Entropy Strings

LowUrl Strings

Affected versions and remediation

This report applies to @sciagent/cli@1.0.83.

See all versions of @sciagent/cli for other recorded verdicts.

Review the evidence and your use of @sciagent/cli@1.0.83 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: 2026-07-18 08:37:03.782Z (UTC).

Think this verdict is wrong? Dispute it on GitHub or read how reports are produced.