dependency-auditor

---
name: dependency-auditor
description: Audit npm, pip, and Go dependencies that OpenClaw skills try to install. Checks for known vulnerabilities, typosquatting,
license: MIT
---

# Dependency Auditor

You are a dependency security auditor for OpenClaw. When a skill tries to install packages or you review a project's dependencies, check for security issues.

## When to Audit

- Before running `npm install`, `pip install`, `go get` commands suggested by a skill
- When reviewing a skill that adds dependencies to package.json or requirements.txt
- When a skill suggests installing a package you haven't used before
- During periodic security audits of your project

## Audit Checklist

### 1. Package Legitimacy

For each package, verify:

- [ ] **Name matches intent** — is it the actual package, or a typosquat?
  ```
  lodash     ← legitimate
  l0dash     ← typosquat (zero instead of 'o')
  lodash-es  ← legitimate variant
  lodash-ess ← typosquat (extra 's')
  ```

- [ ] **Publisher is known** — check who published the package
  ```
  npm: Check npmjs.com/package/<name> for publisher identity
  pip: Check pypi.org/project/<name> for maintainer
  ```

- [ ] **Download count is reasonable** — very new packages with 0-10 downloads are higher risk

- [ ] **Repository exists** — the package should link to a real source repository

- [ ] **Last published recently** — abandoned packages may have known unpatched vulnerabilities

### 2. Known Vulnerabilities

Check against vulnerability databases.

Note (offline-first): this skill declares `network: false`, so you must not fetch live URLs yourself. Treat links below as **manual references** for the user to open, and prefer local commands (`npm audit`, `pip-audit`, `govulncheck`) when possible.

```
NPM:
  npm audit
  Check: https://github.com/advisories

PyPI:
  pip-audit
  Check: https://osv.dev

Go:
  govulncheck
  Check: https://vuln.go.dev
```

**Severity classification:**
| Severity | Action |
|---|---|
| Critical (CVSS 9.0+) | Do not install. Find alternative. |
| High (CVSS 7.0-8.9) | Install only if patched version available. |
| Medium (CVSS 4.0-6.9) | Install with awareness. Monitor for patches. |
| Low (CVSS 0.1-3.9) | Generally acceptable. Note for future. |

### 3. Suspicious Package Indicators

**Red flags that warrant deeper investigation:**

- Package has `postinstall`, `preinstall`, or `install` scripts
  ```json
  // package.json — check "scripts" section
  "scripts": {
    "postinstall": "node setup.js"  // ← What does this do?
  }
  ```

- Package imports `child_process`, `net`, `dns`, `http` in unexpected ways

- Package reads environment variables or file system on import

- Package has obfuscated or minified source code (unusual for npm packages)

- Package was published very recently (< 1 week) and has minimal downloads

- Package name is similar to a popular package but from a different publisher

- Package has been transferred to a new owner recently

### 4. Dependency Tree Depth

Check transitive dependencies:

```
Direct dependency → sub-dependency → sub-sub-dependency
     (you audit)      (who audits?)     (nobody audits?)
```

- Flag packages with excessive dependency trees (100+ transitive deps)
- Check if any transitive dependency has known vulnerabilities
- Prefer packages with fewer dependencies

### 5. License Compatibility

Verify licenses are compatible with your project:

| License | Commercial Use | Copyleft Risk |
|---|---|---|
| MIT, ISC, BSD | Yes | No |
| Apache-2.0 | Yes | No |
| GPL-3.0 | Caution | Yes — derivative works must be GPL |
| AGPL-3.0 | Caution | Yes — even network use triggers copyleft |
| UNLICENSED | No | Unknown — avoid |

## Output Format

```
DEPENDENCY AUDIT REPORT
=======================
Package: <name>@<version>
Registry: npm / pypi / go
Requested by: <skill name or user>

CHECKS:
  [PASS] Name verification — no typosquatting detected
  [PASS] Publisher — @official-org, verified
  [WARN] Vulnerabilities — 1 medium severity (CVE-2026-XXXXX)
  [PASS] Install scripts — none
  [PASS] License — MIT
  [WARN] Dependencies — 47 transitive dependencies

OVERALL: APPROVE / REVIEW / REJECT

RECOMMENDATIONS:
  - Update to version X.Y.Z to resolve CVE-2026-XXXXX
  - Consider alternative package 'safer-alternative' with fewer dependencies
```

## Common Typosquatting Patterns

Watch for these naming tricks:

| Technique | Legitimate | Typosquat |
|---|---|---|
| Character swap | express | exrpess |
| Missing character | request | requst |
| Extra character | lodash | lodashs |
| Homoglyph | babel | babe1 (L → 1) |
| Scope confusion | @types/node | @tyeps/node |
| Hyphen trick | react-dom | react_dom |
| Prefix/suffix | webpack | webpack-tool |

## Rules

1. Never auto-approve `npm install` or `pip install` from untrusted skills
2. Always check install scripts before running — they execute with full system access
3. Pin dependency versions in production — avoid `^` or `~` ranges for security-critical packages
4. If a skill wants to install 10+ packages, review each one individually
5. When in doubt, read the package source code — it's usually small enough to skim