Dep Add Guard

Vulnetix Dependency-Add Guard Skill

Use when

• Stop-think: about to run npm install / pip install / cargo add something new.
• Choosing between candidate packages (Pix verdict tells you which is safer).
• CI policy: block PRs that add packages flagged BLOCK.
• Auditing a recently-added dep that was not gated at addition time.
• Cross-checking the dep-install-gate hook's warning with full-detail follow-up.

Don't use for

• Generic package info — use /vulnetix:package-search.
• Resolving a conflict — use /vulnetix:dep-resolve.
• Single-CVE lookup — use /vulnetix:vuln.

Conventions

This skill follows _lib/contract.md: the Vulnetix CLI is auto-installed by hooks, .vulnetix/capabilities.yaml is always present, every vulnetix vdb call is piped through a verified jq filter from _lib/jq/, independent calls run in parallel as concurrent Bash tool calls, and trailing follow-ups are limited to one line. See the contract for output style, memory write rules, and cooldowns.

Refines /vulnetix:package-search into an explicit "should I add this?" verdict.

Step 1: Load capabilities

Read .vulnetix/capabilities.yaml. Default --ecosystem from derived.primary_package_manager if not provided.

Step 2: Parallel intelligence pulls

vulnetix vdb packages search "$PACKAGE" --ecosystem "$ECO" -o json & | jq -f "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/_lib/jq/packages.jq"
vulnetix vdb vulns "$PACKAGE" -o json & | jq -f "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/_lib/jq/vulns.jq"
vulnetix vdb ai-malware list --package "$PACKAGE" -o json & | jq -f "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/_lib/jq/ai-list.jq"
vulnetix vdb purl "pkg:${ECO}/${PACKAGE}@${VERSION:-latest}" -o json & | jq -f "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/_lib/jq/purl.jq"
wait

Step 3: Apply gates

Verdict = WORST of these checks:

• block: known malware/typosquat hit
• block: critical CVE in target version with no fix
• warn: copyleft license against permissive codebase
• warn: low maintainer-health (single maintainer, no commits in 12mo, low downloads)
• warn: EOL upstream
• warn: version-lag (>3 minor versions behind)
• allow: none of the above

Step 4: Render

Dependency: <package>@<version> (<ecosystem>)

Verdict: ALLOW | WARN | BLOCK

| Check | Result | Detail |
| Vuln history | 3 known | 0 affecting target version |
| Malware / typosquat | clean | no AI-malware family hit |
| License | MIT | OK |
| Maintainer health | 1 maintainer, last commit 14mo ago | warn |
| EOL | not EOL | OK |
| Version lag | latest=4.2.0, requested=4.0.1 | OK |

If BLOCK, refuse and suggest alternatives via vulnetix vdb packages search --ecosystem $ECO --safe.

Memory update

Append event: dep-add-guard to .vulnetix/memory.yaml with the verdict and rationale.

Edge cases & gotchas

• Verdict logic = max(any BLOCK signal, all WARN signals, baseline ALLOW). One BLOCK signal forces BLOCK regardless of others.
• BLOCK triggers: malware/typosquat hit OR critical CVE with no fix in target version.
• WARN triggers: copyleft license vs permissive codebase, single-maintainer-no-recent-commits, EOL upstream, version-lag > 3 minor versions.
• Maintainer-health signals come from package-registry metadata — npm download count, last-publish date. Newer packages with one maintainer can be unfairly flagged.
• 4 parallel CLI calls — sequential pacing helps on rate-limited tiers.
• Memory write records the verdict + rationale even if the user decides not to install — useful for retrospective review.