# Detecting Suspicious Assert

> Detects suspicious use of assertions for security checks that can be disabled in production builds. Use when analyzing assertion usage, security checks, or investigating assert-related vulnerabilities.

- Skill: `aibot88/detecting-suspicious-assert` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add aibot88/detecting-suspicious-assert`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/aibot88/detecting-suspicious-assert/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Security
- Author: aibot88 (https://skillmd.com/u/aibot88)
- Updated: 2026-09-09
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/aibot88/detecting-suspicious-assert

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# Suspicious Assert Detection

## Detection Workflow

1. **Identify assert operations**: Find all assert() calls, locate assertion macros, identify static_assert usage, map assertion patterns
2. **Analyze assert purpose**: Determine assert intent, check if used for security, assess criticality of check, review assert context
3. **Check for bypass potential**: Verify if asserts are disabled, assess release build behavior, check for compile-time flags, review build configuration
4. **Assess security impact**: Can assert be bypassed? What's the security impact? Is critical check disabled? What's the exploit potential?

## Key Patterns

- Asserts for security checks: using assert() for input validation, using assert() for security checks, using assert() for authentication, using assert() for authorization
- Asserts that can be disabled: critical checks using assert(), security-critical validations using assert(), resource allocation checks using assert(), bounds checks using assert()
- Asserts with side effects: asserts with function calls, asserts with assignments, asserts modifying state, asserts with non-pure expressions
- Incorrect assert usage: asserts on user-controlled data, asserts that can be bypassed, asserts in release builds, asserts in production code

## Output Format

Report with: id, type, subtype, severity, confidence, location, vulnerability, assert_statement, assert_type, check_purpose, disabled_in_release, exploitable, attack_scenario, impact, mitigation.

## Severity Guidelines

- **HIGH**: Assert used for critical security checks
- **MEDIUM**: Assert used for important validation
- **LOW**: Assert used for debugging only

## See Also

- `patterns.md` - Detailed detection patterns and exploitation scenarios
- `examples.md` - Example analysis cases and code samples
- `references.md` - CWE references and mitigation strategies