registry  /  @star-setup/star-setup  /  0.4.9

@star-setup/star-setup@0.4.9

Lightweight CLI to clone, configure, and wire single or multi-repo ecosystems

AI Security Review

scanned 4h ago · by lpm-firewall-ai

The package is a native CLI wrapper that downloads a platform-specific release artifact during postinstall. The unresolved risk is an opaque remote executable installed without integrity verification, but the behavior is package-aligned and no malicious JS behavior is present.

Static reason
One or more suspicious static signals were detected.
Trigger
npm install runs postinstall; star-setup CLI invocation runs the installed binary
Impact
Installs and later executes a GitHub release binary for the star-setup CLI
Mechanism
postinstall native binary downloader and CLI wrapper
Attack narrative
On install, the package selects a platform entry from package.json, downloads the corresponding GitHub release archive, extracts it into node_modules/.bin_real, and the npm bin wrapper later spawns that binary with user arguments. The reviewed JavaScript does not harvest data, persist outside the package install area, or mutate agent control surfaces; the main residual concern is the unverified remote native payload.
Rationale
Static inspection shows a package-aligned native binary installer with no confirmed malicious source behavior, but install-time retrieval of an opaque executable without integrity checks is a real unresolved supply-chain risk. This warrants a warning rather than a publish block.
Evidence
package.jsoninstall.jsbinary.jsbinary-install.jsrun-star-setup.jsREADME.mdnode_modules/.bin_realtemporary archive under os.tmpdir()
Network endpoints1
github.com/star-setup/core/releases/download/v0.4.9

Decision evidence

public snapshot
AI called this Suspicious at 82.0% confidence as Dangerous Capability with medium false-positive risk.
Evidence for warning
  • package.json defines postinstall: node ./install.js
  • install.js calls binary.install(false) during npm lifecycle
  • binary.js builds a GitHub release artifact URL for the local platform
  • binary-install.js downloads an archive with axios, extracts it, and stores executables under node_modules/.bin_real
  • No checksum/signature verification is present before installing the downloaded binary
Evidence against
  • Network endpoint is package-aligned with homepage/repository https://github.com/star-setup/core
  • run-star-setup.js only runs the installed star-setup binary when the CLI is invoked
  • No source evidence of credential/env harvesting, exfiltration, persistence, destructive behavior, or AI-agent control-surface writes
  • No eval/vm/Function or dynamic remote JS execution found in package JS
  • README documents this as a native CLI installer for star-setup
Behavioral surface
Source
ChildProcessFilesystemNetwork
Supply chain
UrlStrings
Manifest
NoLicense
scanned 4 file(s), 10.0 KB of source, external domains: example.com

Source & flagged code

2 flagged · loading source
package.jsonView file
•scripts.postinstall = node ./install.js
High
Install Time Lifecycle Scripts

Package defines install-time lifecycle scripts.

package.jsonView on unpkg
•scripts.postinstall = node ./install.js
Medium
Ambiguous Install Lifecycle Script

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

package.jsonView on unpkg

Findings

1 High2 Medium4 Low
HighInstall Time Lifecycle Scriptspackage.json
MediumAmbiguous Install Lifecycle Scriptpackage.json
MediumNetwork
LowScripts Present
LowFilesystem
LowUrl Strings
LowNo License