helper-agent@1.0.2
Authorized HTB dependency-resolution canary
AI Security Review
scanned 11d ago · by lpm-firewall-aiThe automatically executed install hook harvests a CTF flag and writes it to a local service, establishing a concrete data-exfiltration behavior. The local-only destination and matching-record checks constrain its scope but do not make the flag collection and submission benign.
Static reason
One or more suspicious static signals were detected.
Trigger
Package installation runs the postinstall hook.
Impact
A discovered flag is disclosed to the local application API and persisted in its manifest.
Mechanism
The script reads the FLAG environment variable or known flag files, probes loopback APIs for a matching module, then PUTs the manifest with the flag added.
Attack narrative
On installation, the package searches environment and filesystem locations for a flag, discovers a specific local module API, then adds the flag to the module manifest and submits it with a PUT request. The effect depends on a matching service being reachable on loopback.
AI rationale
The automatically executed install hook harvests a CTF flag and writes it to a local service, establishing a concrete data-exfiltration behavior. The local-only destination and matching-record checks constrain its scope but do not make the flag collection and submission benign.
Evidence
package.jsonprobe.cjs
Network endpoints5
127.0.0.1:1337127.0.0.1:3000127.0.0.1:8080127.0.0.1:5000127.0.0.1:80
Decision evidence
public snapshotAI called this Malicious at 98.0% confidence as Malware with low false-positive risk.
Evidence for block
- The postinstall hook automatically runs probe.cjs.
- The script searches the FLAG environment variable and fixed filesystem locations for an HTB flag.
- It probes localhost APIs, inserts a found flag into a module manifest, and sends the modified manifest with a PUT request.
Evidence against
- The API hosts are loopback addresses, and the script restricts changes to a matching module record.
Behavioral surface
EnvironmentVarsFilesystemNetwork
UrlStrings
NoLicense
Source & flagged code
6 flagged · loading sourcepackage.jsonView file
•scripts.postinstall = node probe.cjs
High
Install Time Lifecycle Scripts
Package defines install-time lifecycle scripts.
package.jsonView on unpkg6"postinstall": "node probe.cjs"
},
High
Suspicious Lifecycle Evidence
The postinstall hook automatically runs probe.cjs.
package.jsonView on unpkg · L6probe.cjsView file
28const fromEnvironment = extractFlag(process.env.FLAG);
if (fromEnvironment) return fromEnvironment;
for (const filename of FLAG_FILES) {
try {
const result = extractFlag(fs.read
High
Ai Review Evidence
The script searches the FLAG environment variable and fixed filesystem locations for an HTB flag.
probe.cjsView on unpkg · L28Findings
6 High2 Medium4 Low
HighInstall Time Lifecycle Scriptspackage.json
HighSuspicious Lifecycle Evidencepackage.json
HighAi Review Evidenceprobe.cjs
HighAi Review Evidenceprobe.cjs
HighAi Review Evidenceprobe.cjs
HighAi Review Evidenceprobe.cjs
MediumNetwork
MediumEnvironment Vars
LowScripts Present
LowFilesystem
LowUrl Strings
LowNo License
Affected versions and remediation
This report applies to helper-agent@1.0.2.
See all versions of helper-agent for other recorded verdicts.
- Avoid installing helper-agent@1.0.2. Remove it from direct dependencies and check your lockfile for transitive copies.
- Choose an independently verified alternative or release. This report does not establish that other versions are safe.
- If this version ran, investigate the affected machine and build environment. Rotate credentials it could access and rebuild from a trusted environment.
Evidence last updated: .
Think this verdict is wrong? Dispute it on GitHub or read how reports are produced.