Skill Trust Decision
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Skill contains hardcoded API credentials and makes undisclosed external network requests to Tavily's API, with doc-to-code mismatch on credential handling.
Most direct threat evidence
High Credential Theft
Hardcoded API Credential in Source Code A Tavily API key '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' is hardcoded in plugin.ts and providers/tavily.ts. This is a developer/testing key exposed in plaintext that could be harvested and abused.
plugin.ts:75 Why this conclusion was reached
1/4 dimensions flagged Pass
Declared vs actual capability
Declared resources and inferred behavior are broadly aligned.
Review
Hidden execution and egress
5 lower-risk artifacts were extracted and still need context.
Block
Attack chain and severe findings
The report includes 0 attack-chain steps and 2 severe findings.
Pass
Dependencies and supply chain hygiene
Dependencies are present but no obvious high-risk issue stands out.
What drove the risk score up
Hardcoded API credential +25
Tavily API key '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' embedded in source code at plugin.ts:75 and providers/tavily.ts:15
Undisclosed external network calls +20
SKILL.md does not mention Tavily API calls; user queries sent to api.tavily.com
Doc-to-code mismatch +10
Documentation presents Tavily as 'Free (dev)' feature without revealing hardcoded key usage
Most important evidence
High Credential Theft
Hardcoded API Credential in Source Code
A Tavily API key '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' is hardcoded in plugin.ts and providers/tavily.ts. This is a developer/testing key exposed in plaintext that could be harvested and abused.
plugin.ts:75 Remove hardcoded credentials. Require users to provide their own TAVILY_API_KEY via environment configuration. Never commit API keys to source code.
High Data Exfil
Undisclosed External API Calls
User search queries are sent to api.tavily.com without clear disclosure in SKILL.md. This means user search behavior data is logged by Tavily's service.
providers/tavily.ts:20 Document all external API endpoints and data flows. Obtain explicit user consent for data transmission to third-party services.
Medium Doc Mismatch
Hardcoded Key Misrepresented as Feature
SKILL.md presents Tavily integration as a 'Free (dev)' feature without disclosing that it relies on a hardcoded development API key rather than user-provided credentials.
SKILL.md:1 Clearly document credential requirements and explain how API keys should be configured.
Low Supply Chain
Hardcoded Windows Path Exposes Environment
References to absolute Windows path 'D:\winopenclaw\workspace\skills\_legacy\tavily\search_tavily_news.py' suggest development on a specific machine with specific directory structure.
plugin.ts:85 Use relative paths or configuration-driven paths. Avoid exposing internal development environment structure.
Low Priv Escalation
Undeclared Shell Execution Capability
Code uses api.exec() for Python script execution, implying shell:WRITE capability that is not declared in SKILL.md.
plugin.ts:84 Document shell execution as a required capability if intentional, or refactor to use safer alternatives.
Declared capability vs actual capability
Network Pass
Declared READ
→ Inferred WRITE
plugin.ts:75, providers/tavily.ts:15 - sends data to api.tavily.com Shell Pass
Declared NONE
→ Inferred WRITE
plugin.ts:84-86 uses api.exec() for Python script execution Suspicious artifacts and egress
Medium External URL
http://127.0.0.1:8080 plugin.ts:74
Medium External URL
https://www.baidu.com/s?wd=$ plugin.ts:147
Medium External URL
https://cn.bing.com/search?q=$ plugin.ts:148
Medium External URL
https://www.google.com/search?q=$ plugin.ts:149
Medium External URL
https://api.tavily.com/search providers/tavily.ts:12
Dependencies and supply chain
| Package | Version | Source | Known vuln | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| fetch | built-in | Node.js | No | Native fetch used for HTTP requests |
| crypto | built-in | Node.js | No | Used for MD5 cache key hashing |
File composition
8 files · 465 lines
TypeScript 5 files · 389 linesYAML 1 files · 46 linesMarkdown 1 files · 25 linesJSON 1 files · 5 lines
Files of concern · 3
plugin.ts Hardcoded API Credential in Source Code · Hardcoded Windows Path Exposes Environment · Undeclared Shell Execution Capability · http://127.0.0.1:8080 · https://www.baidu.com/s?wd=$ · https://cn.bing.com/search?q=$ · https://www.google.com/search?q=$
providers/tavily.ts Undisclosed External API Calls · https://api.tavily.com/search
SKILL.md Hardcoded Key Misrepresented as Feature
Other files · skill.yaml · cache.ts · multi.ts · searxng.ts · _meta.json
Security positives
Rate limiting implemented (20 calls/min) to prevent abuse
In-memory caching reduces redundant API calls
Local SearXNG option respects privacy by keeping searches local
Graceful fallback between search engines
No credential exfiltration or C2 communication detected