recess-cli@3.1.0

Safe Recess administration and family AI tools from the command line.

AI Security Review

scanned 14d ago · by lpm-firewall-ai

The install hook automatically replaces package-owned agent skill content in Codex and Claude directories. This fits the warning category for first-party package-owned agent extension setup, with no source evidence here establishing a concrete malicious chain.

Static reason

One or more suspicious static signals were detected.; source matched previously finalized malicious package; routed for review; previous stored version diff introduced dangerous source

Trigger

Installing the package through npm when the published-package postinstall path runs.

Impact

The agent skill content is changed during installation, which may affect how those agents use the Recess CLI.

Mechanism

The hook dynamically imports the package setup module, which removes and recopies its own skill folder and removes a superseded skill folder under the agent skills roots.

AI rationale

Evidence

package.jsonscripts/postinstall.mjsdist/setup.js~/.codex/skills/recess-cli~/.claude/skills/recess-cli

Decision evidence

public snapshot

AI called this Suspicious at 91.0% confidence as Dangerous Capability with medium false-positive risk.

Evidence for warning

The package runs a postinstall hook that imports its setup module and refreshes an agent skill automatically.
The setup module replaces a skill directory in the user's Codex and Claude configuration and removes a superseded skill directory.
This is first-party package-owned agent skill setup; the inspected code does not establish credential theft, remote payload execution, or broad agent configuration mutation.

Evidence against

The manifest identifies the package as recess-cli version 3.1.0 and points to its Recess repository.

Behavioral surface

Source

ChildProcessCryptoDynamicRequireEnvironmentVarsFilesystemNetworkShell

Supply chain

HighEntropyStringsUrlStrings

Manifest

NoLicense

scanned 32 file(s), 573 KB of source, external domains: 127.0.0.1, api.recess.gg, example.com, recess.gg

Source & flagged code

6 flagged

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

dist/commands/onboarding.jsView file

564patternName = generic_password severity = medium line = 564

Medium

Secret Pattern

Package contains a possible secret pattern.

dist/commands/onboarding.jsView on unpkg · L564

scripts/postinstall.mjsView file

Lines 10-45javascript

10// 1. Never fail the install. A read-only HOME, a sandboxed CI runner, or a

11// missing build all exit 0 — a skill copy is not worth a failed upgrade.

12// 2. Never run from a source checkout. In the monorepo `pnpm install` fires

13// postinstall for the workspace package too, where dist/ may be stale or

14// absent; writing a developer's half-built skill into their real agent

15// directories would be a surprising side effect of `pnpm install`.

16// 3. Stay quiet on success. One line, on stderr, so it cannot pollute a

17// piped `--json` envelope if anything ever invokes this indirectly.

18import fs from "node:fs";

dist/auth.jsView file

•matchType = normalized_sha256 matchedPackage = recess-cli@2.6.0 matchedPath = dist/auth.js matchedIdentity = npm:cmVjZXNzLWNsaQ:2.6.0 similarity = 1.000 summary = normalized source hash matched finalized malicious source

High

Known Malware Source Similarity

Source file is highly similar to a previously finalized malicious package; route for source-aware review.

dist/auth.jsView on unpkg

dist/cli.jsView file

•matchType = previous_version_dangerous_delta matchedPackage = recess-cli@2.7.0 matchedIdentity = npm:cmVjZXNzLWNsaQ:2.7.0 similarity = 0.760 summary = stored previous version shares package body but lacks this dangerous source file

High

Previous Version Dangerous Delta

This package version adds a dangerous source file absent from the previous stored version; route for source-aware review.

dist/cli.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

dist/commands/onboarding.jsView file

564patternName = generic_password severity = medium line = 564

Medium

Secret Pattern

Package contains a possible secret pattern.

dist/commands/onboarding.jsView on unpkg · L564

Findings

3 High6 Medium5 Low

HighInstall Time Lifecycle Scriptspackage.json

HighKnown Malware Source Similaritydist/auth.js

HighPrevious Version Dangerous Deltadist/cli.js

MediumAmbiguous Install Lifecycle Scriptpackage.json

MediumSecret Patterndist/commands/onboarding.js

MediumDynamic Requirescripts/postinstall.mjs

MediumNetwork

MediumEnvironment Vars

MediumStructural Risk Force Deep Review

LowScripts Present

LowFilesystem

LowHigh Entropy Strings

LowUrl Strings

LowNo License

Affected versions and remediation

This report applies to recess-cli@3.1.0.

See all versions of recess-cli for other recorded verdicts.

Review the evidence and your use of recess-cli@3.1.0 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: 2026-10-09 10:14:45.310Z (UTC).

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