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@vanillagreen/pi-background-tasks@2.0.2: AI-agent control-surface | LPM Firewall

registry / @vanillagreen/pi-background-tasks / 2.0.2

@vanillagreen/pi-background-tasks@2.0.2

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. An automatic npm postinstall modifies Pi's shared system instructions. Its fallback reaches an existing user-level agent directory outside a managed extension installation.

Static reason

One or more suspicious static signals were detected.

Trigger

Installing the package when a supported scope or existing Pi user directory is present.

Impact

Package-controlled instructions persistently influence subsequent agent behavior across the selected Pi scope.

Mechanism

The lifecycle helper reads package instructions and inserts them into APPEND_SYSTEM.md without an explicit setup gate.

Policy narrative

The npm postinstall invokes the helper automatically. It resolves a managed scope or falls back to an existing Pi user directory, then writes instructions directing the agent's shell-tool choices into the shared system prompt. Directory existence and package block markers do not establish consent to alter that broader agent control surface.

AI rationale

The source establishes unconsented postinstall mutation of a foreign, shared AI-agent control surface, which meets the blocking policy. Package-aligned instruction content and uninstall cleanup do not remove that automatic global fallback.

Evidence

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

Decision evidence

public snapshot

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": { "test": "bun test ./tests ./extensions/__tests__", "postinstall": "node scripts/append-system.mjs install", "preuninstall": "node scripts/append-system.mjs remove"

High

Suspicious Lifecycle Evidence

package.json automatically runs the prompt-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

113const configured = process.env.PI_CODING_AGENT_DIR; const piDir = configured ? resolve(configured.replace(/^~(?=\/|$)/, homedir())) : join(homedir(), ".pi", "agent"); return existsSync(piDir) ? piDir : undefined;

High

Ai Review Evidence

The helper falls back to an existing user-level Pi directory without requiring explicit setup or consent.

scripts/append-system.mjsView on unpkg · L113

66const target = join(scopeRoot, "APPEND_SYSTEM.md")

High

Ai Review Evidence

The helper targets APPEND_SYSTEM.md and writes a package instruction block into that shared agent control surface.

scripts/append-system.mjsView on unpkg · L66

143function 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); }

High

Ai Review Evidence

The helper targets APPEND_SYSTEM.md and writes a package instruction block into that shared agent control surface.

scripts/append-system.mjsView on unpkg · L143

88upsertBlock(target, begin, end, content);

High

Ai Review Evidence

The helper targets APPEND_SYSTEM.md and writes a package instruction block into that shared agent control surface.

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.

High

Ai Review Evidence

instructions.md directs the agent to prefer the package's background shell tools.

instructions.mdView on unpkg · L3

Source & flagged code

8 flagged

package.jsonView file

Lines 1-42json

1{

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

3 "version": "2.0.2",

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 "test": "bun test ./tests ./extensions/__tests__",

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

High

Install Time Lifecycle Scripts

Package defines install-time lifecycle scripts.

package.jsonView on unpkg · L22

Medium

Ambiguous Install Lifecycle Script

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

package.jsonView on unpkg · L22

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

High

Suspicious Lifecycle Evidence

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

package.jsonView on unpkg · L20

24 },

25 "peerDependencies": {

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

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

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

29 "typebox": "*"

30 },

31 "files": [

32 "extensions/",

33 "assets/",

34 "scripts/",

35 "instructions.md",

36 "README.md",

37 "THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md",

38 "package.json"

39 ],

40 "kendex": {

41 "extensionManager": {

42 "displayName": "Background Tasks",

scripts/append-system.mjsView file

Lines 46-163javascript

46try {

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

48} catch (err) {

49 notice("package-read"

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.

High

Ai Review Evidence

instructions.md directs the agent to prefer the package's background shell tools.

instructions.mdView on unpkg · L3

4

5Use