registry / trace-mcp / 3.23.1

trace-mcp@3.23.1

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AI Security Review

scanned 2mo ago · by lpm-firewall-ai

This is a concrete automatic lifecycle persistence and remote-update surface. It appears package-owned and includes safeguards, so static source does not establish malware or exfiltration, but the behavior warrants a warning.

Static reason

One or more suspicious static signals were detected.; source matched previously finalized malicious package; routed for review

Trigger

Installing the package; the persistence path activates on macOS unless an opt-out variable is set.

Impact

A package install can create a background service and replace local application code without a separate setup command.

Mechanism

Postinstall persistence and remote application update.

AI rationale

Evidence

package.jsonscripts/postinstall-control-plane.mjsscripts/postinstall-app.mjs~/.trace/launcher.env~/.trace/bin/trace~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.trace-mcp.server.plisttrace-mcp.app

Network endpoints1

api.github.com

Decision evidence

public snapshot

AI called this Suspicious at 94.0% confidence as Dangerous Capability with medium false-positive risk.

Evidence for warning

Its automatic postinstall runs two state-changing installer scripts.
On macOS, installation writes and bootstraps a per-user launchd service with RunAtLoad and KeepAlive.
The installer fetches a release archive and checksum, then can replace installed application bundles in place.

Evidence against

The launchd service, paths, and updater are named for this package rather than an unrelated agent.
The updater verifies a matching checksum before replacement and provides environment-variable opt-outs.
No source evidence shows credential theft, secret exfiltration, or modification of Claude or Codex configuration during postinstall.

Behavioral surface

Source

ChildProcessCryptoDynamicRequireEnvironmentVarsFilesystemNativeBindingsNetworkShellWebSocket

Supply chain

HighEntropyStringsUrlStrings

Source & flagged code

16 flagged

package.jsonView file

Lines 15-55json

15 "dev": "tsup --watch",

16 "test": "vitest run",

17 "test:watch": "vitest",

18 "test:recall": "vitest run tests/recall-harness/recall.test.ts",

19 "test:recall:report": "tsx tests/recall-harness/runner.ts",

20 "typecheck": "tsc --noEmit",

21 "lint": "tsc --noEmit",

22 "format": "biome format --write",

23 "format:check": "biome format",

24 "biome:ci": "biome ci",

25 "serve": "tsx src/cli.ts serve",

26 "check:remote-claims": "node scripts/check-remote-claims.mjs",

27 "count:tools": "node scripts/count-advertised-tools.mjs",

28 "record:wire-fixtures": "tsx scripts/record-wire-fixtures.ts",

29 "replay:check": "tsx scripts/replay-eval.ts",

30 "replay:update-baseline": "tsx scripts/replay-eval.ts --update-baseline",

31 "bench:state-replay": "tsx scripts/state-trace-replay.ts",

32 "bench:state-recall": "tsx scripts/bench-state-recall.ts",

33 "bench:index-throughput": "tsx scripts/bench-index-throughput.ts --json docs/perf/index-throughput.json",

34 "bench:session-scaling": "tsx scripts/bench-session-scaling.ts",

35 "postinstall": "node scripts/preflight-native.mjs && node scripts/postinstall-app.mjs && node scripts/postinstall-control-plane.mjs",

High

Install Time Lifecycle Scripts

Package defines install-time lifecycle scripts.

package.jsonView on unpkg · L35

Medium

Ambiguous Install Lifecycle Script

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

package.jsonView on unpkg · L35

36 "prepublishOnly": "pnpm run build",

37 "prepare": "simple-git-hooks",

38 "docs:sitemap": "node scripts/gen-sitemap.mjs && node scripts/gen-llms-full.mjs",

39 "docs:language-matrix": "tsx scripts/language-matrix.ts",

40 "docs:tools-index": "tsx scripts/tools-index.ts",

41 "docs:config-index": "tsx scripts/config-index.ts",

42 "gen:tz-country": "node scripts/gen-tz-country.mjs"

43 },

44 "simple-git-hooks": {

45 "pre-commit": "pnpm exec lint-staged"

46 },

47 "lint-staged": {

48 "*.{ts,tsx,js,jsx,mjs,cjs,json,jsonc,css}": [

49 "biome check --write --no-errors-on-unmatched"

50 ]

51 },

52 "engines": {

53 "node": ">=22.0.0"

54 },

55 "packageManager": "pnpm@10.33.0",

dist/proxy.jsView file

26732// src/daemon/lifecycle.ts L26733: import { execSync, execFileSync, spawn } from "child_process"; L26734: import fs11 from "fs";

High

Child Process

Package source references child process execution.

dist/proxy.jsView on unpkg · L26732

2474function hasPreloadFlags() { L2475: const execArgv = process.execArgv; L2476: for (let i = 0; i < execArgv.length; i++) {

High

Shell

Package source references shell execution.

dist/proxy.jsView on unpkg · L2474

2import { createRequire as __tmcpCreateRequire } from 'node:module'; L3: const require = __tmcpCreateRequire(import.meta.url); L4: var __create = Object.create;

Medium

Dynamic Require

Package source references dynamic require/import behavior.

dist/proxy.jsView on unpkg · L2

1103for (var i = 0; i < flen; ) { L1104: if (f.charCodeAt(i) === 37 && i + 1 < flen) { L1105: lastPos = lastPos > -1 ? lastPos : 0; ... L1338: fsWriteSync = () => fs16.writeSync(this.fd, this._writingBuf); L1339: fsWrite = () => fs16.write(this.fd, this._writingBuf, this.release); L1340: } else if (contentMode === void 0 || contentMode === kContentModeUtf8) { ... L1903: L1904: // node_modules/.pnpm/thread-stream@4.0.0/node_modules/thread-stream/package.json L1905: var require_package = __commonJS({ ... L1943: type: "git", L1944: url: "git+https://github.com/mcollina/thread-stream.git" L1945: },

scripts/capture-screenshots.mjs#virtual:normalized:round1View file

390// six grey placeholders is exactly the failure this pipeline exists to avoid. L391: const dashboard = `http://127.0.0.1:${DEMO_DAEMON_PORT}/api/dashboard`; L392: await fetch(`${dashboard}/refresh`, { method: "POST" }); ... L402: * The guard"s health comes from a heartbeat an attached agent session writes.\n * A capture has no agent, so without this the showcase screenshot ships a red\n * \"Not running\" ba... L403: * policy") — the window comes up blank. Assigning `location.href` inside the\n * document keeps the app's own file origin, exactly as the main process does.\n */\nasync function na... L404: return;

High

Same File Env Network Execution

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

scripts/capture-screenshots.mjs#virtual:normalized:round1View on unpkg · L390

390// six grey placeholders is exactly the failure this pipeline exists to avoid. L391: const dashboard = `http://127.0.0.1:${DEMO_DAEMON_PORT}/api/dashboard`; L392: await fetch(`${dashboard}/refresh`, { method: "POST" }); ... L401: /** L402: * The guard"s health comes from a heartbeat an attached agent session writes.\n * A capture has no agent, so without this the showcase screenshot ships a red\n * \"Not running\" ba... L403: * policy") — the window comes up blank. Assigning `location.href` inside the\n * document keeps the app's own file origin, exactly as the main process does.\n */\nasync function na... L404: return;

High

Command Output Exfiltration

Source combines command execution, command-output handling, and outbound requests; review data flow before blocking.

scripts/capture-screenshots.mjs#virtual:normalized:round1View on unpkg · L390

scripts/verify-upgrade-path.mjsView file

25L26: import { execFileSync } from 'node:child_process'; L27: import fs from 'node:fs'; ... L34: L35: if (process.platform !== 'darwin') { L36: console.log('skip: macOS only'); ... L48: const repoRoot = path.resolve(new URL('..', import.meta.url).pathname); L49: const expected = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(path.join(repoRoot, 'package.json'), 'utf-8')).version; L50: ... L62: try { L63: const res = await fetch(`https://api.github.com/repos/${REPO}/releases?per_page=10`, { L64: headers: { 'User-Agent': 'trace-mcp' },

High

Sandbox Evasion Gated Capability

Source gates dangerous network, credential, or execution behavior behind CI, host, platform, time, or geo fingerprint checks.

scripts/verify-upgrade-path.mjsView on unpkg · L25

scripts/record-wire-fixtures.tsView file

20* Usage: L21: * npx tsx scripts/record-wire-fixtures.ts [--project <root>] [--port <port>] L22: * ... L25: */ L26: import { spawn } from 'node:child_process'; L27: import fs from 'node:fs';

High

Runtime Package Install

Package source invokes a package manager install command at runtime.

scripts/record-wire-fixtures.tsView on unpkg · L20

hooks/trace-mcp-reindex.shView file

•path = hooks/trace-mcp-reindex.sh kind = build_helper sizeBytes = 8298 magicHex = [redacted]

Medium

Ships Build Helper

Package ships non-JavaScript build or shell helper files.

hooks/trace-mcp-reindex.shView on unpkg

dist/snapshot-backend.jsView file

•path = dist/snapshot-backend.js kind = oversized_source_file sizeBytes = 10999217 magicHex = [redacted]

Medium

Oversized Source File

Package contains source files above the normal full-analysis size ceiling.

dist/snapshot-backend.jsView on unpkg

dist/cli.jsView file

•path = dist/cli.js kind = oversized_cli_entrypoint sizeBytes = 12696071 magicHex = [redacted]

Medium

Oversized Cli Entrypoint

Package contains an oversized executable-looking CLI entrypoint.

dist/cli.jsView on unpkg

scripts/bench-response-tokens.ts#virtual:normalized:round1View file

•stage = ast_semantic_analysis; reason = ast_parse_error; limitedFiles = 7

High

Semantic Analysis Limited

A bounded semantic-analysis stage reached its safety limit; remaining detectors completed, but this package requires AI review.

scripts/bench-response-tokens.ts#virtual:normalized:round1View on unpkg

scripts/capture-screenshots.mjsView file

•matchType = normalized_sha256 matchedPackage = trace-mcp@3.8.0 matchedPath = scripts/capture-screenshots.mjs matchedIdentity = npm:dHJhY2UtbWNw:3.8.0 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.

scripts/capture-screenshots.mjsView on unpkg

scripts/count-advertised-tools.mjsView file

•matchType = normalized_sha256 matchedPackage = trace-mcp@3.8.0 matchedPath = scripts/count-advertised-tools.mjs matchedIdentity = npm:dHJhY2UtbWNw:3.8.0 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.

scripts/count-advertised-tools.mjsView on unpkg

Source & flagged code

16 flagged · loading source

package.jsonView file

•scripts.postinstall = node scripts/preflight-native.mjs && node scripts/postinstall-app.mjs && node scripts/postinstall-control-plane.mjs

High

Install Time Lifecycle Scripts

Package defines install-time lifecycle scripts.

package.jsonView on unpkg

•scripts.postinstall = node scripts/preflight-native.mjs && node scripts/postinstall-app.mjs && node scripts/postinstall-control-plane.mjs

Medium

Ambiguous Install Lifecycle Script

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

package.jsonView on unpkg

dist/proxy.jsView file

26732// src/daemon/lifecycle.ts L26733: import { execSync, execFileSync, spawn } from "child_process"; L26734: import fs11 from "fs";

High

Child Process

Package source references child process execution.

dist/proxy.jsView on unpkg · L26732

Findings

10 High9 Medium5 Low

HighInstall Time Lifecycle Scriptspackage.json

HighChild Processdist/proxy.js

HighShelldist/proxy.js

HighSame File Env Network Executionscripts/capture-screenshots.mjs#virtual:normalized:round1

HighCommand Output Exfiltrationscripts/capture-screenshots.mjs#virtual:normalized:round1

HighSandbox Evasion Gated Capabilityscripts/verify-upgrade-path.mjs

HighRuntime Package Installscripts/record-wire-fixtures.ts

HighSemantic Analysis Limitedscripts/bench-response-tokens.ts#virtual:normalized:round1

HighKnown Malware Source Similarityscripts/capture-screenshots.mjs

HighKnown Malware Source Similarityscripts/count-advertised-tools.mjs

Affected versions and remediation

This report applies to trace-mcp@3.23.1.

See all versions of trace-mcp for other recorded verdicts.

Review the evidence and your use of trace-mcp@3.23.1 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: 2026-09-07 16:03:42.789Z (UTC).

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

AI Security Review

Decision evidence

Source & flagged code

Source & flagged code

Findings

Affected versions and remediation

Runtime surface

Behavioral surface

Source & flagged code