@sciagent/cli@1.1.33
SciAgent CLI - AI Research Assistant
AI Security Review
scanned 3mo ago · by lpm-firewall-aiThe source establishes a concrete automatic remote-payload installation and later execution path, but no direct malicious objective is visible in the inspected JavaScript. This warrants a warning rather than a block under the stated lifecycle policy.
Static reason
One or more suspicious static signals were detected.
Trigger
npm postinstall; later invocation of the sciagent command.
Impact
A compromised configured download source, mirror, redirect, or globally installed fallback package can supply code that runs as the installing user.
Mechanism
remote binary download, installation, and execution without integrity verification
AI rationale
The source establishes a concrete automatic remote-payload installation and later execution path, but no direct malicious objective is visible in the inspected JavaScript. This warrants a warning rather than a block under the stated lifecycle policy.
Evidence
package.jsonscripts/postinstall.jsbin/sciagent.js~/.sciagent/bin/sciagent~/.sciagent/bin/codebuddy-headless
Network endpoints6
jihulab.comu250924-a969-d9c894d0.westb.seetacloud.com:8443mirrors.cloud.tencent.commirrors.aliyun.compypi.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cnpypi.org
Decision evidence
public snapshotAI called this Suspicious at 94.0% confidence as Dangerous Capability with low false-positive risk.
Evidence for warning
- package.json runs scripts/postinstall.js automatically.
- postinstall downloads large native binaries from JiHuLab/release server into ~/.sciagent/bin.
- postinstall fetches a CodeBuddy wheel, extracts its executable, and falls back to npm install -g.
- bin/sciagent.js later executes the downloaded sciagent binary and auto-updates it.
- Downloaded artifacts have only size checks; no checksum or signature verification.
Evidence against
- No source evidence of credential or environment harvesting.
- No exfiltration, destructive broad filesystem actions, or AI-agent control-surface writes found.
- Process termination is limited to the package's named sciagent process and requires an update path.
Behavioral surface
ChildProcessEnvironmentVarsFilesystemNetworkShell
HighEntropyStringsUrlStrings
Source & flagged code
6 flagged · loading sourcepackage.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 unpkgbin/sciagent.jsView file
19L20: const { spawn, execSync } = require('child_process');
L21: const path = require('path');
High
Findings
5 High4 Medium4 Low
HighInstall Time Lifecycle Scriptspackage.json
HighChild Processbin/sciagent.js
HighShellscripts/postinstall.js
HighSandbox Evasion Gated Capabilityscripts/postinstall.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@1.1.33.
See all versions of @sciagent/cli for other recorded verdicts.
- Review the evidence and your use of @sciagent/cli@1.1.33 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: .
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