registry / AI-agent capability abuse / create-chemx / 26.9.16-668

create-chemx@26.9.16-668

Chemical X Protocol: Private drop-in architecture starter kit and capsule generator

AI Security Review

scanned 11d ago · by lpm-firewall-ai

The source shows explicit CLI setup that modifies agent-facing project configuration, which warrants a warning under the agent capability policy. The declared postinstall points to a file absent from the inspected package snapshot, and the inspected agent configuration writes are not shown to run through it.

Static reason

One or more suspicious static signals were detected.

Trigger

A user invokes the CLI setup wizard or MCP installation command and selects the relevant setup.

Impact

These changes can shape later agent behavior and enable the configured MCP server in those editors. No unconsented install-time agent configuration mutation was established.

Mechanism

The query installer appends an instruction to AGENTS.md, while the MCP installer writes a named server entry to project Cursor and VS Code configuration files.

AI rationale

Evidence

cli/installer.jscli/mcp/installer.jscli/mcp/installer.spec.js

Decision evidence

public snapshot

AI called this Suspicious at 86.0% confidence as Dangerous Capability with medium false-positive risk.

Evidence for warning

The package exposes a CLI and declares an install-mcp command alongside a postinstall script.
The explicit installer wizard offers an agent query setup that adds an instruction to AGENTS.md telling AI agents to use the package's search command.
The MCP installer writes its server configuration into project Cursor and VS Code configuration files.
The package snapshot does not contain the postinstall script's referenced scripts/postinstall.mjs file.

Evidence against

The agent configuration writes are performed by explicit CLI setup flows, rather than by the declared npm postinstall hook.
The MCP installer adds a named server configuration and preserves or merges the existing configuration.

Behavioral surface

Source

ChildProcessEnvironmentVarsFilesystemNetworkShell

Supply chain

HighEntropyStringsUrlStrings

ManifestNo manifest risk signals triggered.

Source & flagged code

6 flagged

package.jsonView file

Lines 30-69json

30 ".": "./cli/index.js",

31 "./audit": "./cli/audit.js",

32 "./build": "./cli/build.js",

33 "./search": "./cli/search.js",

34 "./mcp": "./cli/mcp/index.js",

35 "./reader": "./cli/reader.js",

36 "./patcher": "./cli/patcher.js"

37 },

38 "scripts": {

39 "publish:both": "node scripts/publish-both.mjs",

40 "test": "node --test cli/audit/*.spec.js cli/mcp/*.spec.js cli/*.spec.js",

41 "typecheck": "tsc --noEmit",

42 "create-capsule": "node cli/index.js",

43 "audit": "node cli/index.js audit",

44 "ci:audit": "node cli/index.js audit --ci --dir=cli",

45 "chemx": "node cli/index.js",

46 "q": "node cli/index.js q",

47 "search": "node cli/index.js search",

48 "mcp": "node cli/index.js mcp",

49 "install-mcp": "node cli/index.js install-mcp",

50 "postinstall": "node scripts/postinstall.mjs",

High

Install Time Lifecycle Scripts

Package defines install-time lifecycle scripts.

package.jsonView on unpkg · L50

Medium

Ambiguous Install Lifecycle Script

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

package.jsonView on unpkg · L50

51 "read": "node cli/index.js read",

52 "patch": "node cli/index.js patch"

53 },

54 "dependencies": {

55 "@babel/parser": "^7.29.8",

56 "@babel/traverse": "^7.29.8",

57 "@babel/types": "^7.29.8",

58 "react": "^18.3.1",

59 "react-dom": "^18.3.1"

60 },

61 "devDependencies": {

62 "@types/babel__traverse": "^7.28.0",

63 "@types/node": "^22.20.2",

64 "@types/react": "^18.3.31",

65 "@types/react-dom": "^18.3.7",

66 "typescript": "^5.9.3"

67 }

68}

cli/audit-preflight-git.jsView file

Lines 1-21javascript

1import fs from 'node:fs';

2import { spawnSync } from 'node:child_process';

High

Child Process

Package source references child process execution.

cli/audit-preflight-git.jsView on unpkg · L1

4const SOURCE_FILE_PATTERN = /\.

cli/terminal.jsView file

Lines 1-30javascript

1import readline from "node:readline";

2import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";

3import { formatChemicalXGradient, ANSI } from "./theme.js";

5export const openBrowser

cli/license.jsView file

3import os from 'node:os'; L4: import { spawnSync } from 'node:child_process'; L5: import { ... L17: L18: export const API_BASE = process.env.CHEMICAL_X_API_URL || 'https://chemicalx.xophz.com'; L19: export const GATEKEEPER_API_URL = process.env.COMPASS_GATEKEEPER_URL || 'https://mycompassconsulting.com/wp-json/compass/v1/gatekeeper';

High

Same File Env Network Execution

A single source file combines environment access, network access, and code or shell execution; review context before blocking.

cli/license.jsView on unpkg · L3

cli/scaffold.jsView file

•Manifest-trigger-reachable source links an external AI-agent control path to a behavior-bearing write operation. import fs from 'node:fs'; import path from 'node:path'; import { hasgum, guminput, promptquestion, renderbanner } from './terminal.js'; import { obtainlicensekey, fetchstarterkitfiles, loadlocalblueprintfiles } from './license.js'; export const runscaffold = async (projectname, rawargs = [], onrunaudit = null) => { renderbanner('chemical x: molecular architecture scaffolder (npm create chemx)'); const licensekey = await obtainlicensekey(rawargs, onrunaudit); let iscommunity = false; let files = {}; if (!licensekey) { process.stdout.write( '\n\x1b[38;2;98;201;255m⚡ chemical x: community edition (free)\x1b[0m\n' + 'the community version is free because

High

Trigger Reachable External Ai Agent Control Surface Mutation

Manifest-trigger-reachable source writes behavior-bearing configuration into a user or project AI-agent control surface.

cli/scaffold.jsView on unpkg

Source & flagged code

6 flagged · loading source

package.jsonView file

•scripts.postinstall = node scripts/postinstall.mjs

High

Install Time Lifecycle Scripts

Package defines install-time lifecycle scripts.

package.jsonView on unpkg

•scripts.postinstall = node scripts/postinstall.mjs

Medium

Ambiguous Install Lifecycle Script

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

package.jsonView on unpkg

cli/audit-preflight-git.jsView file

1import fs from 'node:fs'; L2: import { spawnSync } from 'node:child_process'; L3:

High

Child Process

Package source references child process execution.

cli/audit-preflight-git.jsView on unpkg · L1

Findings

5 High4 Medium4 Low

HighInstall Time Lifecycle Scriptspackage.json

HighChild Processcli/audit-preflight-git.js

HighShellcli/terminal.js

HighSame File Env Network Executioncli/license.js

HighTrigger Reachable External Ai Agent Control Surface Mutationcli/scaffold.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 create-chemx@26.9.16-668.

See all versions of create-chemx for other recorded verdicts.

Review the evidence and your use of create-chemx@26.9.16-668 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: 2026-10-12 08:09:40.306Z (UTC).

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