T3mp3st

T3MP3ST-Class Offensive-Security Meta-Harnesses

Class-level guidance for working with T3MP3ST-style frameworks that turn an existing local AI coding agent into an autonomous red-team platform.

Core mental model

T3MP3ST is NOT a scanner or exploit framework itself. It is a meta-harness:

• Brain: an existing local agent CLI such as Claude Code, Codex, or Hermes.
• Body: the Arsenal/tool wrappers the brain can call.
• Rules: mission target/scope, rules of engagement, and evidence vault.
• Room: War Room UI or HTTP API for mission control.
• Receipts: verify-claims re-derives headline numbers from committed artifacts.

Beginner explanation pattern

When the user is unfamiliar with red teaming:

1. Start with one analogy: either home security inspection or autopilot inspection car.
2. Name the actual components in plain terms: brain, tool belt, allowed zone, report.
3. Keep operator tables to the proven fraction. Emphasize that later operators are experimental unless asked otherwise.
4. End with two caveats: authorization only, and it is an assistant not a teacher.

Hermes integration

Hermes is a first-class local brain. From src/agent/local-agents.ts:

• bin: hermes
• invocation: hermes -z "<prompt>"
• optional unattended mode: --yolo only when T3MP3ST_HERMES_YOLO=1
• default is safe mode and preserves normal approval behavior
• no second API key is required; Hermes uses its existing auth/config

Modes to explain:

• Keyless: connect Hermes in Settings; T3MP3ST drives it headlessly
• Local model: Ollama/LM Studio/vLLM via TEMPEST_LOCAL_BASE_URL
• API key: OpenRouter/Anthropic/OpenAI/Venice/XAI

When asked how Hermes pilots it:

• explain subprocess invocation
• one-shot prompt round-trip
• T3MP3ST interprets text/tool plans
• Hermes remains the brain; T3MP3ST is the harness

Stable vs experimental status

Default correctness is tied to the repo's own status model. Use these labels unless the user asks otherwise:

• ✅ Stable: recon, mission engine, arsenal/MCP/HTTP, scope gating, coordinator/reporting pieces
• ⚠️ Experimental/🚧: later operators, advanced modules when unproven

Important honesty points always worth stating:

• headline scores came from a single-agent ReAct loop, not the 8-operator swarm
• Recon/Scanner/Reporting are most trustworthy today
• Exploiter/Infiltrator/Exfiltrator/Ghost/Coordinator are real tool-backed loops but unbenchmarked as coordinated swarm

Source review workflow

When the user wants a structural review:

1. Clone repo
2. Read README/FEATURES/TEAM_PREVIEW for product claims
3. Read src/agent/local-agents.ts for supported local agents and safety switches
4. Read src/server.ts and src/llm/index.ts for adapter routing
5. Read docs/INSTALL_MATRIX.md and docs/ARSENAL_ACTIVATION_PLAN.md for dependency reality
6. Report only what is actually coded; match README claims to code evidence
7. Run npm run verify-claims on a fresh clone — the definitive integrity check (see below)

Verifying the headline numbers (tested 2026-08)

The repo re-derives every README number from committed artifacts. This is the single best way to tell real claims from branding:

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/elder-plinius/T3MP3ST /tmp/t3mp3st
cd /tmp/t3mp3st && npm install --no-audit --no-fund && npm run verify-claims

• Requires node >= 22.19 (package.json engines); install + run ≈ 2-5 min
• Healthy result: exit 0, ALL CLAIMS VERIFIED — 27 passed, 0 failed
• Output confirms tool counts (109 = 73 adapters + 36 built-in), 8 operators, CVE-Zero held-out 10/10 found + 8/10 exact file/line/CWE, Cybench 15-iter, and the integrity gate (0 phantom / 606 scored solves)
• If verify-claims fails or output is redacted, treat headline numbers as unverified

Pitfalls to avoid

• Do not claim the swarm is proven; the repo explicitly says it is not.
• Do not present benchmark numbers without the caveats about single-agent source.
• Do not suggest T3MP3ST_HERMES_YOLO=1 as a default; it disables approval prompts.
• Do not skip the authorization reminder when explaining use cases.
• Do not rely on overfitting claims; note the anti-fitting/verify-claims intent.

Reference lookup

For session-specific technical evidence: references/t3mp3st-source-notes.md For quick architecture explanation: references/t3mp3st-beginner-aids.md