xchange-cli@0.12.16
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AI Security Review
scanned 5d ago · by lpm-firewall-aiThe desktop app automatically sends the included AI Firebase credential to the sponsored-ad host as a Bearer token. This exposes an account credential outside its AI use without an explicit user request.
Static reason
High-risk behavior combination matched malicious policy.; source matched previously finalized malicious package; routed for review
Trigger
Electron app startup when the account has an included AI token; ads are on by default.
Impact
The ad service receives a reusable credential also used for the included AI, exposing the user's account credential beyond its AI service without an explicit request.
Mechanism
The app reads includedAi.token from account.json and sends it as a Bearer token to adcode.bluethenics.com while fetching ad configuration and creatives.
Attack narrative
When the desktop app becomes ready, it starts sponsored-card polling unless XCHANGE_ADS=0. It reads the included AI token from the local account file, and the ad module identifies that token as the same Firebase credential used by the included AI. The app sends it as a Bearer credential to adcode.bluethenics.com for ad requests. This is automatic credential disclosure to the ad service, so the package is malicious.
AI rationale
The desktop app automatically sends the included AI Firebase credential to the sponsored-ad host as a Bearer token. This exposes an account credential outside its AI use without an explicit user request.
Evidence
dist/app/dist/main.jsdist/app/dist/ads.jshome/account.json
Network endpoints1
adcode.bluethenics.com
Decision evidence
public snapshotAI called this Malicious at 98.0% confidence as Malware with low false-positive risk.
Evidence for block
- The desktop app calls the sponsored-card watcher automatically when Electron is ready; ads are enabled unless XCHANGE_ADS=0.
- The watcher reads includedAi.token from the local account file and supplies it as the ad request token.
- The ad module describes this as the same Firebase credential used by the included AI.
- Sponsored-card requests send the token as a Bearer authorization header to adcode.bluethenics.com.
- The ad module starts polling immediately and repeats every minute, without requiring a user request.
Evidence against
- The package manifest has no install, preinstall, or postinstall lifecycle scripts.
- The sponsored-card code describes an ad-serving purpose and supports disabling ads with XCHANGE_ADS=0.
Behavioral surface
ChildProcessCryptoDynamicRequireEnvironmentVarsFilesystemNetworkShellWebSocket
HighEntropyStrings
Source & flagged code
20 flaggeddist/app/dist/claude-desktop.jsView file
6exports.claudeStartedAt = claudeStartedAt;
L7: const node_child_process_1 = require("node:child_process");
L8: const MAC_BUNDLE_ID = "com.anthropic.claudefordesktop";
High
Child Process
Package source references child process execution.
dist/app/dist/claude-desktop.jsView on unpkg · L6dist/cli/src/schtasks.js#virtual:normalized:round1View file
18import path from "node:path";
L19: import { windowsPowerShellEnv } from "./windows-powershell.js";
L20: import { runtime } from "./runtime.js";
High
Shell
Package source references shell execution.
dist/cli/src/schtasks.js#virtual:normalized:round1View on unpkg · L18•stage = ast_semantic_analysis; reason = ast_parse_error; limitedFiles = 3
Findings
1 Critical16 High5 Medium6 Low
CriticalDownload Executedist/cli/src/update.js
HighChild Processdist/app/dist/claude-desktop.js
HighShelldist/cli/src/schtasks.js#virtual:normalized:round1
HighSandbox Evasion Gated Capabilitydist/cli/src/update.js
HighSemantic Analysis Limiteddist/cli/src/schtasks.js#virtual:normalized:round1
HighKnown Malware Source Similaritydist/app/dist/main.js
HighKnown Malware Source Similaritydist/remote/src/bridge-client.js
HighKnown Malware Source Similaritydist/remote/src/desktop.js
HighKnown Malware Source Similaritydist/router/src/remote-host.js
HighKnown Malware Source Similaritydist/cli/src/claude-auth.js
Affected versions and remediation
This report applies to xchange-cli@0.12.16.
See all versions of xchange-cli for other recorded verdicts.
- Avoid installing xchange-cli@0.12.16. 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.