registry / emp-code / 0.1.14

emp-code@0.1.14

EMP CLI - coding agent with full-screen TUI (ink, clickable tool output, mouse, plan mode, markdown, vision) and 18 providers. Runs great on any light PC / weak CPU / old motherboard. Sessions, context, effort, web search, background tasks, revert.

AI Security Review

scanned 3d ago · by lpm-firewall-ai

Installation fetches an unsigned executable into dist. Invoking emp executes that binary with the caller's privileges.

Static reason

One or more suspicious static signals were detected.

Trigger

npm installation when the bundled binary is absent, or a user running emp.

Impact

A changed release asset or EMP_EXE_URL-controlled response can execute arbitrary native code as the installing or CLI user.

Mechanism

Remote binary download followed by executable launch.

Rationale

This package exposes an unresolved remote native-payload execution path through its lifecycle and CLI launcher. The risk warrants a warning, but the inspected source does not establish malicious intent or automatic install-time payload execution.

Evidence

package.jsonscripts/postinstall.jsbin/emp.jsdist/emp-win.exedist/emp-macosdist/emp-linux

Network endpoints1

github.com/saintdevzz/emp-cli/releases/latest/download/${exeName}

Decision evidence

public snapshot

AI called this Suspicious at 93.0% confidence as Dangerous Capability with low false-positive risk.

Evidence for warning

The install lifecycle downloads a platform executable from a mutable latest-release URL without integrity verification.
The CLI also downloads that executable when absent, marks it executable, and launches it.
The download URL can be replaced through EMP_EXE_URL, allowing an environment-controlled payload source.

Evidence against

The inspected JavaScript contains no credential harvesting, data exfiltration, or destructive file actions.
The downloaded program is launched only when the user invokes the emp command; postinstall itself does not launch it.
No self-dependency or AI-agent configuration mutation was found.

Behavioral surface

Source

ChildProcessDynamicRequireEnvironmentVarsFilesystemNetwork

Supply chain

HighEntropyStringsUrlStrings

Manifest

NoLicense

scanned 2 file(s), 3.26 KB of source, external domains: github.com

Source & flagged code

8 flagged

package.jsonView file

Lines 1-37json

2 "name": "emp-code",

3 "version": "0.1.14",

4 "description": "EMP CLI - coding agent with full-screen TUI (ink, clickable tool output, mouse, plan mode, markdown, vision) and 18 providers. Runs great on any light PC / weak CPU / old motherboard. Sessions, context, effort, web search, background tasks, revert.",

5 "type": "commonjs",

6 "bin": {

7 "emp": "bin/emp.js"

8 },

9 "engines": {

10 "node": ">=14"

11 },

12 "scripts": {

13 "start": "node bin/emp.js",

14 "test": "node -e \"console.log('no tests')\"",

15 "build": "node scripts/build-exe.js",

16 "build:win": "pkg . --target node22-win-x64 --output dist/emp-win.exe",

17 "postinstall": "node scripts/postinstall.js",

High

Install Time Lifecycle Scripts

Package defines install-time lifecycle scripts.

package.jsonView on unpkg · L17

Medium

Ambiguous Install Lifecycle Script

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

package.jsonView on unpkg · L17

18 "prepublishOnly": "node scripts/prepare-publish.js",

19 "postpublish": "node scripts/restore-after-publish.js"

20 },

21 "keywords": [

22 "cli",

23 "ai",

24 "coding-agent",

25 "nvidia-nim",

26 "opencode-zen",

27 "no-avx",

28 "windows"

29 ],

30 "author": "",

31 "license": "UNLICENSED",

32 "repository": {

33 "type": "git",

34 "url": "https://github.com/saintdevzz/emp-cli.git"

35 },

36 "homepage": "https://github.com/saintdevzz/emp-cli#readme",

37 "bugs": {

bin/emp.jsView file

Lines 1-36javascript

1#!/usr/bin/env node

2'use strict';

3const fs = require('fs');

4const path = require('path');

Medium

Dynamic Require

dist/emp-linuxView file

•path = dist/emp-linux kind = native_binary sizeBytes = 79397926 magicHex = [redacted]

Medium

Ships Native Binary

Package ships native binary artifacts.

dist/emp-linuxView on unpkg

install.shView file

•path = install.sh kind = build_helper sizeBytes = 1217 magicHex = [redacted]

Medium

Ships Build Helper

Package ships non-JavaScript build or shell helper files.

install.shView on unpkg

Source & flagged code

8 flagged · loading source

package.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 unpkg

bin/emp.jsView file

4const path = require('path'); L5: const { spawn } = require('child_process'); L6: const os = require('os');

High

Child Process

Package source references child process execution.

bin/emp.jsView on unpkg · L4

16} L17: console.error('emp binary not found. Run: npm install -g emp-code again, or download from https://github.com/saintdevzz/emp-cli/releases'); L18: process.exit(1); ... L21: if (fs.existsSync(exePath)) { L22: const child = spawn(exePath, process.argv.slice(2), { stdio: 'inherit' }); L23: child.on('close', code => process.exit(code == null ? 0 : code)); ... L25: } else { L26: const url = process.env.EMP_EXE_URL || `https://github.com/saintdevzz/emp-cli/releases/latest/download/${exeName}`; L27: console.log(`[emp] Downloading ${exeName}...`);

High

Same File Env Network Execution

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

bin/emp.jsView on unpkg · L16

4const path = require('path'); L5: const { spawn } = require('child_process'); L6: const os = require('os'); L7: L8: const exeName = process.platform === 'win32' ? 'emp-win.exe' : process.platform === 'darwin' ? 'emp-macos' : 'emp-linux'; L9: const exePath = process.pkg ? path.join(path.dirname(process.execPath), exeName) : path.join(__dirname, '..', 'dist', exeName); L10: const fallbackJs = process.pkg ? null : path.join(__dirname, 'emp-src.js'); ... L16: } L17: console.error('emp binary not found. Run: npm install -g emp-code again, or download from https://github.com/saintdevzz/emp-cli/releases'); L18: process.exit(1); ... L25: } else { L26: const url = process.env.EMP_EXE_URL || `https://github.com/saintdevzz/emp-cli/releases/latest/download/${exeName}`;

High

Remote System File Write

Source writes bytes from a remote response into a privileged operating-system path.

bin/emp.jsView on unpkg · L4

2'use strict'; L3: const fs = require('fs'); L4: const path = require('path');

Medium

Dynamic Require

Package source references dynamic require/import behavior.

bin/emp.jsView on unpkg · L2

dist/emp-linuxView file

•path = dist/emp-linux kind = native_binary sizeBytes = 79397926 magicHex = [redacted]

Medium

Ships Native Binary

Package ships native binary artifacts.

dist/emp-linuxView on unpkg

install.shView file

•path = install.sh kind = build_helper sizeBytes = 1217 magicHex = [redacted]

Medium

Ships Build Helper

Package ships non-JavaScript build or shell helper files.

install.shView on unpkg

Findings

4 High7 Medium6 Low

HighInstall Time Lifecycle Scriptspackage.json

HighChild Processbin/emp.js

HighSame File Env Network Executionbin/emp.js

HighRemote System File Writebin/emp.js

MediumAmbiguous Install Lifecycle Scriptpackage.json

MediumDynamic Requirebin/emp.js

MediumNetwork

MediumEnvironment Vars

MediumShips Native Binarydist/emp-linux

MediumShips Build Helperinstall.sh

MediumStructural Risk Force Deep Review

LowNon Install Lifecycle Scripts

LowScripts Present

LowFilesystem

LowHigh Entropy Strings

LowUrl Strings

LowNo License