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Rule Reference

SEC743lintai-ai-securitystablejsonwarn

package.json: dangerous lifecycle script

package.json defines a dangerous install-time lifecycle script

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

Activation Model

Preset Membership

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

supply-chainmembership

Lifecycle

Stable Lifecycle Contract

State

stable_gated

Graduation rationale

Checks committed package.json install-time lifecycle hooks for explicit download-exec, eval, or npm-explore shell behavior.

Deterministic signal basis

JsonSignals package manifest analysis over `scripts.preinstall|install|postinstall|prepare` values for download-exec patterns, `eval`, or `npm explore` shell execution.

Malicious corpus
package-manifest-dangerous-lifecycle-script
Benign corpus
package-manifest-safe-lifecycle-script
structured evidence required remediation reviewed
Canonical note

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

Nearby Signals

Related Rules

SEC744package.json: git or forge dependency sourcepackage.json installs a dependency from a git or forge shortcut sourcejsonstable
SEC745package.json: unbounded dependency versionpackage.json uses an unbounded dependency version like * or latestjsonstable
SEC753package.json: direct archive URL dependency sourcepackage.json installs a dependency from a direct archive URL sourcejsonstable
SEC301MCP config: shell trampolineMCP configuration shells out through sh -c or bash -cjsonstable
SEC302Config: insecure HTTP endpointConfiguration contains an insecure http:// endpointjsonstable
SEC303MCP config: credential env passthroughMCP configuration passes through credential environment variablesjsonstable

Why It Matters ​

Install-time lifecycle scripts run automatically during dependency installation, so a dangerous committed postinstall or preinstall path can execute attacker-controlled code on every developer or CI machine that installs the package.

What Triggers ​

SEC743 matches package.json lifecycle hooks such as preinstall, install, postinstall, or prepare when the script includes high-risk behavior like download-and-exec patterns, eval, or npm explore shell execution.

False Positives ​

Ordinary lifecycle scripts that run local build steps, type checks, or node ./scripts/... helpers do not trigger this rule. The rule is intentionally scoped to clearly dangerous execution patterns.

Remediation ​

Remove install-time remote execution behavior from the manifest and keep setup logic local, reviewable, and explicit.