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@vanillagreen/pi-background-tasks@2.0.0: AI-agent control-surface | LPM Firewall

registry / @vanillagreen/pi-background-tasks / 2.0.0

@vanillagreen/pi-background-tasks@2.0.0

Pi extension for explicit non-blocking background shell tasks, log tails, and completion wakeups.

AI Security Review

scanned 3d ago · by lpm-firewall-ai

LPM flags this version as an AI-agent control-surface risk. The automatic install hook modifies Pi's shared system instructions. Its fallback reaches the existing user-wide agent directory without an explicit setup action or consent gate.

Static reason

One or more suspicious static signals were detected.

Trigger

npm postinstall when a managed scope or existing Pi agent directory is available.

Impact

Package installation persistently changes the instructions governing subsequent agent behavior.

Mechanism

The helper reads instructions.md and inserts a package-marked block into APPEND_SYSTEM.md.

Policy narrative

Installing the package automatically invokes its helper. The helper resolves a Pi scope or falls back to the existing user-wide agent directory, then writes package-provided behavioral instructions into the shared system instruction file. Package-specific markers and an existing-directory check limit the write but do not authorize mutation of this broader agent control surface.

AI rationale

Source confirms an unconsented postinstall write to a broad AI-agent instruction surface, which meets the blocking policy. The task-related content and directory guard do not remove that install-time control mutation.

Evidence

package.jsonscripts/append-system.mjsinstructions.mdAPPEND_SYSTEM.md

Decision evidence

public snapshot

AI identified this as a at 96.0% confidence with false-positive risk.

Source & flagged code

8 flagged · loading source

package.jsonView file

•scripts.postinstall = node scripts/append-system.mjs install

High

Install Time Lifecycle Scripts

Package defines install-time lifecycle scripts.

package.jsonView on unpkg

20"scripts": { "postinstall": "node scripts/append-system.mjs install", "preuninstall": "node scripts/append-system.mjs remove" }, "peerDependencies": {

High

Suspicious Lifecycle Evidence

package.json automatically runs the instruction-writing helper during postinstall.

package.jsonView on unpkg · L20

•scripts.postinstall = node scripts/append-system.mjs install

Medium

Ambiguous Install Lifecycle Script

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

package.jsonView on unpkg

scripts/append-system.mjsView file

59const target = join(scopeRoot, "APPEND_SYSTEM.md"); const begin = ``; const end = ``; tr

High

Ai Review Evidence

The helper targets Pi's shared APPEND_SYSTEM.md rather than an extension-owned file.

scripts/append-system.mjsView on unpkg · L59

100const configured = process.env.PI_CODING_AGENT_DIR; const piDir = configured ? resolve(configured.replace(/^~(?=\/|$)/, homedir())) : join(homedir(), ".pi", "agent"); return existsSync(piDir) ? piDir : undefined; } function isPiScopeRoot(sc

High

Ai Review Evidence

The helper falls back to the existing user-wide Pi agent directory without requesting consent.

scripts/append-system.mjsView on unpkg · L100

70const content = readFileSync(sourcePath, "utf8").trim(); if (!content) { console.error(`append-system.mjs: appendSystem source is empty for ${name}: ${sourcePath}`); process.exit(0); } upsertBlock(target, begin, end, content); } e

High

Ai Review Evidence

Installation reads package instructions and writes them into the shared system instruction file.

scripts/append-system.mjsView on unpkg · L70

130function upsertBlock(target, begin, end, content) { mkdirSync(dirname(target), { recursive: true }); const stripped = strippedExisting(target, begin, end); const block = `${begin}\n${content}\n${end}`; const next = stripped ? `${stripped}\n\n${block}\n` : `${block}\n`; writeFileSync(target, next); } function remo

instructions.mdView file

3`bg_task` runs shell commands without blocking the conversation; `bg_status` inspects/stops them. Use these instead of `nohup`, `&`, `disown`, or foreground polling loops. Use `bg_task acti

High

Ai Review Evidence

The inserted instructions direct the agent to change its shell tool usage.

instructions.mdView on unpkg · L3

Source & flagged code

8 flagged

package.jsonView file

Lines 1-41json

1{

2 "name": "@vanillagreen/pi-background-tasks",

3 "version": "2.0.0",

4 "description": "Pi extension for explicit non-blocking background shell tasks, log tails, and completion wakeups.",

5 "license": "MIT",

6 "keywords": [

7 "pi-package",

8 "pi",

9 "coding-agent",

10 "background-tasks",

11 "shell"

12 ],

13 "pi": {

14 "extensions": [

15 "./extensions/background-tasks.ts"

16 ],

17 "image": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vanillagreencom/kendex/main/pi-extensions/pi-background-tasks/assets/spawn-tasks.png",

18 "appendSystem": "./instructions.md"

19 },

20 "scripts": {

21 "postinstall": "node scripts/append-system.mjs install",

High

Install Time Lifecycle Scripts

Package defines install-time lifecycle scripts.

package.jsonView on unpkg · L21

Medium

Ambiguous Install Lifecycle Script

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

package.jsonView on unpkg · L21

22 "preuninstall": "node scripts/append-system.mjs remove"

23 },

24 "peerDependencies": {

High

Suspicious Lifecycle Evidence

package.json automatically runs the instruction-writing helper during postinstall.

package.jsonView on unpkg · L20

25 "@earendil-works/pi-ai": "*",

26 "@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent": "*",

27 "@earendil-works/pi-tui": "*",

28 "typebox": "*"

29 },

30 "files": [

31 "extensions/",

32 "assets/",

33 "scripts/",

34 "instructions.md",

35 "README.md",

36 "THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md",

37 "package.json"

38 ],

39 "kendex": {

40 "extensionManager": {

41 "displayName": "Background Tasks",

scripts/append-system.mjsView file

Lines 39-150javascript

39try {

40 pkg = JSON.parse(readFileSync(join(pkgDir, "package.json"), "utf8"));

41} catch (err) {

42 console.error(`append-system.mjs: unable to read package.json in ${

instructions.mdView file

Lines 1-23markdown

1## pi-background-tasks — `bg_task` and `bg_status`

2

3`bg_task` runs shell commands without blocking the conversation; `bg_status` inspects/stops them. Use these instead of `nohup`, `&`, `disown`, or foreground polling loops.

4

5Use `bg_task action: "spawn"` for long-running processes that should outlive the turn: dev servers, watchers, log tails, build daemons, agent panes — anything you'd otherwise background with `&`. Foreground monitor loops (