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Rule Reference

SEC651lintai-ai-securitystablehookdeny

Hook script: launchd persistence

Hook script registers a launchd plist for persistence

Provider
lintai-ai-security
Surface
hook
Scope
per_file
Tier
stable
Severity
deny
Confidence
high
Detection
structural
Remediation
message_only

Activation Model

Preset Membership

This rule is part of the builtin activation graph through these preset memberships.

basemembership

Lifecycle

Stable Lifecycle Contract

State

stable_gated

Graduation rationale

Matches explicit launchd registration or LaunchAgents/LaunchDaemons plist writes in executable hook lines.

Deterministic signal basis

HookSignals command-or-write-target detection over non-comment hook lines for `launchctl load|bootstrap` or writes to LaunchAgents/LaunchDaemons plist paths.

Malicious corpus
hook-service-persistence
Benign corpus
cursor-plugin-clean-basic
structured evidence required remediation reviewed
Canonical note

Structural stable rule intended as a high-precision check with deterministic evidence.

Nearby Signals

Related Rules

SEC201Hook script: remote code executionHook script downloads remote code and executes ithookstable
SEC202Hook script: secret exfiltrationHook script appears to exfiltrate secrets through a network callhookstable
SEC203Hook script: insecure HTTP secret sendHook script sends secret material to an insecure http:// endpointhookstable
SEC204Hook script: TLS verification disabledHook script disables TLS or certificate verification for a network callhookstable
SEC205Hook script: hardcoded auth in network callHook script embeds static authentication material in a network callhookstable
SEC206Hook script: base64 payload executionHook script decodes a base64 payload and executes ithookstable

Why It Matters ​

Launchd registration creates persistent macOS execution outside the repository lifecycle.

What Triggers ​

SEC651 matches executable hook lines that run launchctl load or launchctl bootstrap, or write plist files into LaunchAgents or LaunchDaemons locations.

False Positives ​

Machine bootstrap flows can manage launchd intentionally, but shared hooks should not silently install host persistence.

Remediation ​

Remove launchd registration from the hook and move plist setup into a separate reviewed admin process.