Ac Safety Harden Supply Chain Sec

harden-supply-chain-sec

Harden software supply chain security by configuring minimum release age policies across package managers.

Invocation

/harden-supply-chain-sec [<manager>|auto] [global|project] [<duration>] [--exclude pkg1,pkg2] [--guided] [--harden]

Arguments

Behavior

• You are a senior security engineer hardening supply chain configuration.
• Always show dry-run before any writes. Never write without explicit confirmation.
• Fail-open on errors: warn and skip, do not block the user.
• Detection and dry-run phases are read-only. Do not install, enable, or update tooling during preflight.
• Any install/update, audit-tool installation, or lockfile-regeneration command requires a separate explicit confirmation after the exact command is shown.
• Never recommend or run curl | sh / curl | bash installers.
• Be project-agnostic: no hardcoded paths, repos, or organization names.
• If --guided is present, always enter guided mode regardless of other args.
• If --harden is present, proceed to hardening gates after config writes.

CRITICAL: Execution Order

Follow these sections in exact order:

1. Parse arguments (Section 1). If no args: auto-enter guided mode.
2. Guided mode prompts if --guided or no args (Section 10)
3. Project root resolution (Section 5)
4. Manager detection and version check (Sections 7, 3)
5. Frozen-lockfile detection (Section 6)
6. Config value computation (Section 4)
7. Dry-run display and Gate 1 confirmation (Section 8)
8. Config writing on confirmation (Section 4)
9. Post-apply summary (Section 8)
10. Post-apply verification (Section 8a)
11. If --harden (or selected at Gate 1): Gates 2-2b-3-4 (Sections 11-11b-12-13)
12. If scope=project: offer commit (Section 8b)
13. Preferred manager suggestions (Section 15)

Section 1: Parse Arguments and Duration Normalization

Parse the invocation arguments. Apply defaults for missing args:

• manager -> auto
• scope -> project
• duration -> 7d
• --exclude -> empty
• --guided -> false
• --harden -> false

No-Args Auto-Guided

If the skill is invoked with NO arguments (bare /harden-supply-chain-sec), automatically enter guided mode (Section 10). This is equivalent to --guided being implicitly set. If ANY argument is provided, use the standard defaults and require explicit --guided for interactive mode.

Duration Normalization

Parse human-friendly duration input and convert to each manager's native unit.

Parsing rules:

• Xd = X days
• Xh = X hours
• Xw = X weeks (X * 7 days)
• If no unit suffix, assume days
• Minimum: 1 hour. Error if duration < 1 hour.

Conversion table (compute at runtime):

Formulas:

• total_hours = parse input to hours
• pnpm: total_hours * 60 (integer minutes)
• Bun: total_hours * 3600 (integer seconds)
• Yarn: if total_hours >= 24 and evenly divisible by 24 -> "Xd" (where X = total_hours / 24), else if total_hours >= 24 -> "XdYh" (where X = floor(total_hours / 24), Y = total_hours % 24), else -> "Xh"
• npm: ceil(total_hours / 24) (integer days, minimum 1). If total_hours is not evenly divisible by 24, show warning: "npm rounds h up to days (<ceil*24>h effective protection)"
• uv: if evenly divisible by 24 -> "X days" (where X = total_hours / 24), else -> "N hours" (where N = total_hours). For uv < 0.9.17, use ISO 8601 timestamp instead (compute as UTC now + duration).

Section 2: Supported Managers Reference

Manager Configuration Map

Lockfile Detection Map

Exclusion Keys

Section 3: Version Check Procedure

For each manager to be configured, run the version check BEFORE any config writes.

Steps

1. Run via Bash: <manager> --version
   • If command fails (exit code != 0): check Corepack fallback for Yarn (see below).
   • If still fails: manager is NOT installed. Record status: NOT_INSTALLED. WARN and SKIP.
2. Yarn v4 Corepack detection (special case):
   • yarn --version may return nothing or Yarn Classic (1.x) because Yarn v4 is managed via Corepack, NOT the yarn npm package.
   • If yarn --version fails or returns 1.x: run corepack yarn --version as fallback.
   • If Corepack is not installed: run corepack --version to check, record the prerequisite command, and WARN -- but do NOT run corepack enable during detection.
   • If Corepack resolves Yarn v4 (>= 4.x): use that version. Record install command as corepack prepare yarn@<version> --activate.
   • If Corepack is unavailable and Yarn is not installed: status = NOT_INSTALLED, but include in update commands: corepack enable && corepack prepare yarn@<version> --activate for later explicit confirmation.
3. Parse version string from output:
   • pnpm: output is just the version number (e.g., 10.16.0)
   • yarn: output is just the version number (e.g., 4.13.0) — may come from Corepack fallback
   • bun: output format X.Y.Z (e.g., 1.3.0)
   • npm: output is just the version number (e.g., 11.10.0)
   • uv: output format uv X.Y.Z -- extract the version after uv
4. Compare installed version against minimum version from Section 2 table using semver comparison:
   • Split both versions on . into [major, minor, patch]
   • Compare major first, then minor, then patch
   • If installed >= minimum: status = OK
   • If installed < minimum: status = TOO_OLD. WARN with message: "Installed is below minimum required for minimum release age support. Skipping." SKIP this manager.
5. Special case for uv:
   • If installed >= 0.9.17: use duration string format (e.g., "7 days")
   • If installed >= 0.4.0 but < 0.9.17: use ISO 8601 timestamp format. Compute as: current UTC time + duration. Format: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ
   • If installed < 0.4.0: TOO_OLD, SKIP.
6. Build version check table for dry-run display (see Section 8).

Manager Installation/Update Age Gate (Self-Referential Rule)

When the version check reveals a manager needs installation or update (status = NOT_INSTALLED or TOO_OLD), any suggestion to install or update that manager MUST itself respect the minimum release age being configured.

Before suggesting a manager install/update:

1. Query the manager's own package registry for its latest version publish date.
   • npm/bun/pnpm: npm view <manager> time --json (check the version's publish timestamp)
   • yarn: Yarn v4 is distributed via Corepack, NOT the yarn npm package. Query the Yarn GitHub releases API: gh api repos/yarnpkg/berry/releases --jq '.[].tag_name' or check https://repo.yarnpkg.com/tags. The npm view yarn time --json returns Classic (1.x) metadata and must NOT be used for Yarn v4 version lookups.
   • uv: pip index versions uv --pre or check PyPI JSON API https://pypi.org/pypi/uv/json
2. If the latest version was published LESS than the configured duration ago:
   • WARN: " latest version was published ago, which is below the configured minimum release age of . Recommend waiting or pinning to an older verified version."
   • Suggest the most recent version that DOES meet the age threshold.
3. If the latest version meets the age threshold: suggest it normally.
4. When presenting install/update guidance, first display the exact command or manual steps. Only execute a command after an explicit confirmation step. Never recommend or run curl | sh / curl | bash installers.

This rule ensures the hardening tool does not undermine its own security posture by recommending freshly-published manager binaries.

Section 4: Config Writing Procedures

For EACH verified manager (status = OK), follow the per-manager procedure below. All writes happen ONLY after Gate 1 confirmation (Section 8).

General Safety Pattern

1. READ the target config file (if it exists) using the Read tool.
2. EXTRACT the current value for the manager's config key.
3. If current value equals the proposed value: record as "(unchanged)", SKIP write.
4. COMPUTE the unified diff showing the change.
5. Store diff for dry-run display (Section 8).
6. On Gate 1 confirmation: apply the write.
7. POST-WRITE verification: re-read the file, confirm the value matches the proposed value.
8. If verification fails: WARN with details but do NOT retry automatically.

Hook Denial Recovery

If a Write or Edit operation is DENIED by a hook (e.g., write-scope-guardian, supply-chain-guardian, or any other security hook), do NOT retry or attempt to bypass the hook. Instead:

1. STOP all write operations immediately.
2. Display the exact manual steps the user must perform themselves:

   ================================================================
   BLOCKED: A security hook denied the write operation.
   ================================================================
   
   Hook: <hook_name> (if identifiable from error)
   File: <target_file>
   Change: <key> = <value>
   
   To apply this change manually, run:
   
     <exact shell command or editor instruction for this specific change>
   
   For example:
     echo '<config_line>' >> <target_file>
     -- OR --
     Open <target_file> and add/update: <key>: <value>
   
   After making the change, come back and confirm.
   ================================================================
   

3. Ask using AskUserQuestion:
   • header: Manual update
   • question: "I was blocked from writing to . The manual steps are shown above. Confirm when you have applied the change."
   • options:
     • label: "Done"
     • description: "I applied the change manually"
     • label: "Skip"
     • description: "Skip this manager and continue with the rest"
4. If "Done": run post-check verification using CLI commands (NOT file re-reads, since the same hook may block reads too):
   • pnpm: pnpm config get minimum-release-age
   • npm: npm config get before --global (expect dynamic timestamp; min-release-age returns null — display quirk)
   • bun/uv/yarn: use Section 8a functional test (preferred) or file read if allowed
   • If correct: display "Verified: = ." and continue.
   • If NOT correct: display the exact discrepancy and re-ask (max 2 retries, then WARN and continue).
5. If "Skip": record as "Skipped (hook denied)" in the post-apply summary and continue.

This pattern applies to ALL write operations: config writes (Section 4), hardening policy writes (Sections 11-13), and any other file modifications.

pnpm

Project scope:

• File: <project_root>/pnpm-workspace.yaml
• If file does not exist: create it with content:

  packages: []
  minimumReleaseAge: <minutes>
  

• If file exists: use Edit tool to add/update minimumReleaseAge: <minutes> as a top-level key.
• Value: integer minutes (from Section 1 conversion).

Global scope:

• pnpm supports global configuration via rc files using kebab-case key names.
• Detect OS and resolve the global rc path:
  • macOS: ~/Library/Preferences/pnpm/rc
  • Linux: ~/.config/pnpm/rc
  • Windows: ~/AppData/Local/pnpm/config/rc
  • Fallback: ~/.npmrc (pnpm reads this too)
• If the rc file does not exist: create it with content:

  minimum-release-age=<minutes>
  

• If the rc file exists: add/update the minimum-release-age=<minutes> line.
• Value: integer minutes (same as project scope).
• NOTE: The rc file uses kebab-case (minimum-release-age), NOT camelCase (minimumReleaseAge).

Exclusions (if --exclude):

• Add minimumReleaseAgeExclude array to pnpm-workspace.yaml:

  minimumReleaseAgeExclude:
    - "package-name-1"
    - "package-name-2"
  

• If key already exists: merge new entries (avoid duplicates).

Yarn v4

Project scope:

• File: <project_root>/.yarnrc.yml
• If file does not exist: create it with content:

  npmMinimalAgeGate: "<duration_string>"
  

• If file exists: use Edit tool to add/update npmMinimalAgeGate: "<duration_string>".
• Value: duration string from Section 1 conversion (e.g., "7d").

Global scope:

• File: ~/.yarnrc.yml
• Verified: Yarn 4.13.0 reads and enforces npmMinimalAgeGate from ~/.yarnrc.yml.
• If file does not exist: create it with content:

  npmMinimalAgeGate: "<duration_string>"
  

• If file exists: use Edit tool to add/update npmMinimalAgeGate: "<duration_string>".
• Value: duration string from Section 1 conversion (same as project scope).
• NOTE: ~/.yarnrc.yml causes Yarn to treat ~ as a project root. This is harmless for the age gate setting but may affect other Yarn behaviors if the home directory contains a package.json. Display a note in the dry-run: "Global ~/.yarnrc.yml will be created/updated. This is safe for npmMinimalAgeGate but note that Yarn treats directories with .yarnrc.yml as project roots."

Exclusions (if --exclude):

• Add npmPreapprovedPackages array to .yarnrc.yml:

  npmPreapprovedPackages:
    - "package-name-1"
    - "package-name-2"
  

• WARN: "Yarn's npmPreapprovedPackages bypasses ALL package validation gates (audit, age, signature), not just the age gate. Verify this is intended."

Bun

Project scope:

• File: <project_root>/bunfig.toml
• If file does not exist: create it with content:

  [install]
  minimumReleaseAge = <seconds>
  

• If file exists: use Edit tool to add/update minimumReleaseAge = <seconds> under the [install] section.
  • If [install] section does not exist: add it.
• Value: integer seconds (from Section 1 conversion).

Global scope:

• File: ~/.bunfig.toml
• Same format as project scope.

Exclusions (if --exclude):

• Add under [install] section:

  minimumReleaseAgeExcludes = ["package-name-1", "package-name-2"]
  

npm

Project scope:

• File: <project_root>/.npmrc
• If file does not exist: create it with content:

  min-release-age=<days>
  

• If file exists: use Edit tool to add/update min-release-age=<days>.
  • .npmrc uses key=value format (INI-style, no spaces around =).
  • Preserve existing lines and comments.
• Value: integer days (from Section 1 conversion, ceiling rounding).

Global scope:

• File: ~/.npmrc
• Same format as project scope.
• Credential guardian fallback: .npmrc may contain auth tokens and be blocked by security hooks (credential guardian). If direct Read/Write access is denied:
  • Use npm config set min-release-age <days> --global to write.
  • Use npm config get before --global to verify (returns dynamic now - duration timestamp; npm config get min-release-age may display null even when set — this is a display quirk in npm 11.x, not a failure).

Exclusions (if --exclude):

• WARN: "npm does not yet support min-release-age exclusions. There is no mechanism to exempt specific packages."
• Do NOT write any exclusion config.

uv

Project scope:

• File: <project_root>/pyproject.toml
• Section: [tool.uv]
• If file does not exist AND (uv.lock exists OR user explicitly requested uv): create pyproject.toml with:

  [tool.uv]
  exclude-newer = "<value>"
  

• If file exists but no [tool.uv] section: add the section with the key.
• If file exists and [tool.uv] section exists: add/update exclude-newer = "<value>" within the section.
• Value depends on uv version (from Section 3):
  • uv >= 0.9.17: duration string, e.g., "7 days"
  • uv >= 0.4.0 but < 0.9.17: ISO 8601 timestamp, e.g., "2026-04-08T00:00:00Z"

Global scope:

• File: ~/.config/uv/uv.toml
• If file does not exist: create it with:

  exclude-newer = "<value>"
  

• If file exists: add/update exclude-newer key.
• Note: global uv.toml does NOT use [tool.uv] section -- it is a flat TOML.

Exclusions (if --exclude):

• WARN: "uv uses per-package cutoff overrides via exclude-newer-package, not a bypass list. Each excluded package gets its own cutoff entry."
• Add to [tool.uv] section in pyproject.toml (or flat in uv.toml for global):

  [tool.uv.exclude-newer-package]
  package-name-1 = "<far_future_timestamp>"
  package-name-2 = "<far_future_timestamp>"
  

• The value for excluded packages should be a far-future timestamp (e.g., "2099-12-31T23:59:59Z") to effectively bypass the age gate.

Section 5: Project Root Resolution

If scope=global: SKIP this section entirely. Global config paths are absolute (Section 4). If scope=both: resolve project root (needed for the project-scope pass).

Precedence (highest to lowest)

1. User-specified root: If user provided an explicit path argument, use it.
2. Manager-specific root markers (scan upward from CWD):
   • pnpm: nearest pnpm-workspace.yaml (pnpm is always root-scoped)
   • Yarn: nearest .yarnrc.yml
   • uv: nearest pyproject.toml containing [tool.uv] section, or nearest uv.lock
   • npm: nearest package.json
   • Bun: nearest package.json
3. VCS root: nearest .git directory (fallback)
4. package.json#packageManager: use as a hint/tie-breaker to identify which manager, NOT as a root override.

Resolution Steps

1. Determine CWD via Bash: pwd
2. For each manager in the detection set, use Bash to scan upward:

   # Example for pnpm -- find nearest pnpm-workspace.yaml
   dir="$(pwd)"
   while [ "$dir" != "/" ]; do
     [ -f "$dir/pnpm-workspace.yaml" ] && echo "$dir" && break
     dir="$(dirname "$dir")"
   done
   

3. If multiple managers resolve to different roots:
   • Use manager-specific roots for each manager's config writes (monorepo case).
   • Display all detected roots in dry-run.
4. If no markers found: fall back to VCS root (.git).
5. If still ambiguous (e.g., no .git either): use AskUserQuestion to ask user for the project root.

Monorepo Handling

• In monorepos, different managers may have different root locations.
• pnpm always writes to workspace root (pnpm-workspace.yaml location).
• Other managers write to the directory containing their respective config files.
• Display each manager's resolved root in the dry-run.

Section 6: Frozen-Lockfile Detection

Only run when scope=project. Detect CI/build configurations that use frozen-lockfile install commands.

Scan Targets

Use Glob and Grep to scan these files at project root:

Patterns to Search (per manager)

Use Grep with these patterns. Record each match as file:line.

Output

Build a table of detected frozen-lockfile usages:

| Manager | Command found | Location |
|---------|--------------|----------|
| npm | npm ci | .github/workflows/ci.yml:23 |
| uv | uv sync --frozen | Dockerfile:14 |

If no frozen-lockfile usage detected: omit the table from dry-run.

Post-Apply Warning

After config writes, if any frozen-lockfile usage was detected, display:

WARNING: Frozen-lockfile CI commands detected (see above).
After applying minimum release age, you MUST re-resolve your lockfile(s)
before committing, so the lockfile reflects the new policy:

  npm:  npm install
  pnpm: pnpm install
  yarn: yarn install
  bun:  bun install
  uv:   uv sync

Then commit the updated lockfile(s).
Do NOT run the install commands automatically -- review changes first.

Only list managers that have both: (a) config being written AND (b) frozen-lockfile detected.

Section 7: Auto-Detection Procedure

When manager=auto (default), detect which package managers are active in the project.

Detection Steps

1. Resolve project root (Section 5).

2. Use Glob to check for lockfiles and config files at project root:

   Glob(pattern="pnpm-lock.yaml", path="<project_root>")
   Glob(pattern="yarn.lock", path="<project_root>")
   Glob(pattern="bun.lock", path="<project_root>")
   Glob(pattern="bun.lockb", path="<project_root>")
   Glob(pattern="package-lock.json", path="<project_root>")
   Glob(pattern="uv.lock", path="<project_root>")
   Glob(pattern="pnpm-workspace.yaml", path="<project_root>")
   Glob(pattern=".yarnrc.yml", path="<project_root>")
   Glob(pattern=".pnp.cjs", path="<project_root>")
   Glob(pattern=".yarn", path="<project_root>")
   Glob(pattern="bunfig.toml", path="<project_root>")
   Glob(pattern=".npmrc", path="<project_root>")
   Glob(pattern="pyproject.toml", path="<project_root>")
   Glob(pattern="package.json", path="<project_root>")
   

3. Map detection results to managers:

   • pnpm: detected if pnpm-lock.yaml OR pnpm-workspace.yaml exists
   • Yarn v4: detected if yarn.lock exists AND any of the following v4 markers are present:
     • .yarnrc.yml exists, OR
     • package.json contains a "packageManager": "yarn@4.x" field, OR
     • .pnp.cjs or .yarn/ directory exists (Corepack-managed Yarn 4 projects may have these without .yarnrc.yml or packageManager), OR
     • yarn --version returns a 4.x version (runtime check as last resort) If only yarn.lock exists with NONE of the above markers AND the runtime version check fails or returns 1.x: WARN: "yarn.lock found but cannot confirm Yarn v4. Skipping. Use manager=yarn to force."
   • Bun: detected if bun.lock OR bun.lockb (legacy) OR bunfig.toml exists
   • npm: detected if package-lock.json exists. If other JS lockfiles (pnpm/yarn/bun) also exist, WARN: "package-lock.json found alongside . npm included but may be secondary in this monorepo. Use manager=npm to configure explicitly if auto-detection excludes it." Still include npm in detection -- do NOT silently skip.
   • uv: detected if uv.lock exists OR (pyproject.toml exists with [tool.uv] section)

4. For uv detection via pyproject.toml: Read the file and check if [tool.uv] section exists using Grep:

   Grep(pattern="\\[tool\\.uv\\]", path="<project_root>/pyproject.toml")
   

5. Also detect warning-only managers:

   • Cargo: Cargo.lock or Cargo.toml exists
   • pip: requirements.txt or setup.py or setup.cfg exists (without uv markers)
   • Go: go.sum or go.mod exists

6. If NO managers detected: ERROR with message listing all files scanned and paths checked. Use AskUserQuestion to ask user to specify manager explicitly.

When manager=all

Run auto-detection, then configure ALL detected supported managers (not warning-only).

When manager=<specific>

Skip detection. Use only the specified manager. Still run version check (Section 3).

Section 8: Dry-Run Display and Gate 1 Confirmation

ALWAYS display the dry-run before any config writes. This is mandatory, not optional.

Dry-Run Format

Display the following sections in order. Omit sections with no data.

================================================================
PRE-FLIGHT: minimum release age configuration
================================================================

Duration: <duration> (<source: default/user-specified>)
Project root: <resolved_root> (detected via <marker>)
Scope: <project|global>

-- Manager Version Check ------------------------------------------
| Manager | Installed | Required | Status |
|---------|-----------|----------|--------|
| <mgr> | <version> | <min_version> | OK / TOO_OLD / NOT_INSTALLED |

-- Frozen-Lockfile Usage Detected ---------------------------------
(only if scope=project and detections found)
| Manager | Command found | Location |
|---------|--------------|----------|
| <mgr> | <command> | <file>:<line> |

-- Configuration Changes ------------------------------------------
| Manager | Scope | File | Key | Current | New |
|---------|-------|------|-----|---------|-----|
| <mgr> | <scope> | <file> | <key> | <current_or_none> | <new_value> |

(unchanged) shown for keys where current == new

-- File Diffs -----------------------------------------------------
(unified diff per file, showing exact changes)

-- Exclusion Semantics --------------------------------------------
(only if --exclude provided)
| Manager | Exclusion key | Semantics | Notes |
|---------|--------------|-----------|-------|

-- Scope Overlap ---------------------------------------------------
(only if scope=project AND a global config also sets the same key for any manager)
| Manager | Global config | Global value | Note |
|---------|--------------|-------------|------|
| <mgr> | <global_file> | <global_value> | Project config will take precedence |

-- Warnings -------------------------------------------------------
(list all warnings accumulated during detection, version check, etc.)
- <warning message>

-- Warning-Only Managers ------------------------------------------
(only if warning-only managers detected)
| Manager | Status | Guidance |
|---------|--------|----------|
| Cargo | Not configurable (nightly-only) | Use cargo-deny for stable supply-chain controls |
| pip | No native age-gating | Migrate to uv |
| Go | No native age-gating | Use Go module proxy with age policies |

================================================================

Gate 1: Confirmation

After displaying the dry-run, ask using AskUserQuestion:

• header: Gate 1

• question: "Apply the configuration changes shown above?" (include a parenthetical summary of what will be written vs skipped/unchanged)

• multiSelect: false

• options (select based on context — max 4 options, AskUserQuestion limit):

  When scope=project AND --harden not set AND managers have TOO_OLD/NOT_INSTALLED:

  • label: "Yes, and harden CLAUDE.md/AGENTS.md"
  • description: "Apply config + update CLAUDE.md/AGENTS.md with dependency security policy (Gates 2-4)"
  • label: "Yes"
  • description: "Apply the config changes only"
  • label: "Yes, and show update commands"
  • description: "Apply config + show install/update commands for skipped managers (age-verified)"
  • label: "No"
  • description: "Abort -- no changes will be written"

  When scope=project AND --harden not set AND no skipped managers:

  • label: "Yes, and harden CLAUDE.md/AGENTS.md"
  • description: "Apply config + update CLAUDE.md/AGENTS.md with dependency security policy (Gates 2-4)"
  • label: "Yes"
  • description: "Apply the config changes only"
  • label: "No"
  • description: "Abort -- no changes will be written"

  When --harden already set (any scope):

  • label: "Yes"
  • description: "Apply the config changes listed above"
  • label: "No"
  • description: "Abort -- no changes will be written"
  • label: "Yes, and show update commands" (only if managers have TOO_OLD/NOT_INSTALLED)
  • description: "Apply changes + show install/update commands for skipped managers (age-verified)"

  When scope=global AND --harden not set:

  • label: "Yes, and harden CLAUDE.md/AGENTS.md"
  • description: "Apply config + update CLAUDE.md/AGENTS.md with dependency security policy (Gates 2-4)"
  • label: "Yes"
  • description: "Apply the config changes listed above"
  • label: "No"
  • description: "Abort -- no changes will be written"
  • label: "Yes, and show update commands" (only if managers have TOO_OLD/NOT_INSTALLED)
  • description: "Apply changes + show install/update commands for skipped managers (age-verified)"

Option handling:

• "Yes": proceed with config writes (Section 4).
• "No": abort. Display "Aborted. No changes were written." and STOP.
• "Yes, and harden CLAUDE.md/AGENTS.md": proceed with config writes (Section 4), then set --harden=true and proceed to Gates 2-4 (Sections 11-13) after verification.
• "Yes, and show update commands": proceed with config writes (Section 4), then for each manager with status TOO_OLD or NOT_INSTALLED:
  1. Look up the manager's latest version that meets the configured minimum release age (per Section 3 "Manager Installation/Update Age Gate").
  2. Display the exact install/update guidance pinned to that age-verified version:
     • pnpm: npm install -g pnpm@<version>
     • yarn: corepack enable && corepack prepare yarn@<version> --activate
     • bun: manual install only -- show the exact Bun version to install and direct the user to the official Bun installation documentation. Do NOT use or display curl | bash.
     • npm: npm install -g npm@<version>
     • uv: pip install uv==<version> if pip is available; otherwise show manual installation guidance without curl | sh.
  3. After each command, note: "Version published ago (meets age gate)."
  4. For commands that are safe to execute directly (pnpm, yarn, npm, and uv via pip), use AskUserQuestion:
     • header: Prerequisite
     • question: "Run the age-verified install/update command for now?"
     • options:
       • label: "Run now"
       • description: "Execute: "
       • label: "Show command only"
       • description: "Display the exact command without executing it"
       • label: "Skip"
       • description: "Do not install/update this manager now"
  5. If "Run now": execute the exact command.
  6. If "Show command only": display the exact command and continue.
  7. If "Skip": continue without executing anything.
  8. For Bun, always show manual guidance only and continue.

Post-Apply Display

After successful config writes, display:

================================================================
APPLIED: minimum release age configuration
================================================================

| Manager | File | Status |
|---------|------|--------|
| <mgr> | <file> | Written / Unchanged / Skipped (<reason>) |

(frozen-lockfile warning if applicable -- see Section 6)
================================================================

Section 8a: Post-Apply Verification

After every post-apply display, run verification for ALL managers that were configured (not just hook-denied ones). This confirms the age gate is actually enforced at runtime.

CRITICAL: Verification method depends on SCOPE. Project and global configs live in different files and require different test strategies.

Scope-Aware Verification Strategy

Project Scope Verification

Primary: Direct file read. The config file is in the project directory — read it and confirm the expected key/value is present.

Secondary: Functional test in PROJECT directory. To confirm runtime enforcement, run the functional test FROM the project root (not a temp dir). This ensures the project-level config is what gets tested.

bun (project scope):

cd <project_root>
# Create a minimal test subdir to avoid polluting project
mkdir -p .harden-test && cd .harden-test
echo '{"dependencies":{"<pkg>":"<version>"}}' > package.json
bun install --dry-run 2>&1
rc=$?
cd .. && rm -rf .harden-test
# PASS: output contains "blocked by minimum-release-age"
# FAIL: resolution succeeds — may be masked by global config

uv (project scope):

cd <project_root>
# uv reads pyproject.toml from project root
uv pip install --dry-run "<pkg>==<version>" 2>&1
# PASS: output indicates version excluded by exclude-newer
# FAIL: resolution succeeds

yarn (project and global scope):

NOTE: Yarn 4 does NOT support install --dry-run, and running corepack yarn from a subdirectory of an existing Yarn project causes workspace resolution errors. Yarn functional tests are therefore NOT viable. Rely on direct file read verification only (the primary check).

For project scope: read .yarnrc.yml and confirm npmMinimalAgeGate is set. For global scope: read ~/.yarnrc.yml and confirm npmMinimalAgeGate is set.

Do NOT attempt to create a .harden-test/ subdirectory for Yarn -- it will fail due to Yarn's project boundary detection.

WARNING: If a global config also exists for the same manager, the functional test may pass due to global config even if project config is broken. Always do the direct file read check FIRST. If both global and project configs exist, note this in the report: "Both project and global configs active — project config takes precedence."

Global Scope Verification

CLI-Based (pnpm, npm):

Functional Test in Temp Dir (bun, uv, yarn):

For global scope, a temp directory correctly tests global config (no project config present).

bun (global scope):

tmpdir=$(mktemp -d)
cd "$tmpdir"
echo '{"dependencies":{"<pkg>":"<version>"}}' > package.json
bun install --dry-run 2>&1
rc=$?
rm -rf "$tmpdir"
# PASS: output contains "blocked by minimum-release-age"
# FAIL: resolution succeeds without error

uv (global scope):

tmpdir=$(mktemp -d)
cd "$tmpdir"
uv pip install --dry-run "<pkg>==<version>" 2>&1
rc=$?
rm -rf "$tmpdir"
# PASS: output indicates version excluded by exclude-newer
# FAIL: resolution succeeds without error

Test Package Selection (applies to ALL functional tests)

Query the registry for a well-known, high-trust package with a version in the safe test window: published >= 1 day ago (minimum) AND < configured duration (so it SHOULD be blocked). Prefer versions >= 3 days old (sweet spot).

Candidate packages (tried in order, first match wins):

Selection rules:

• Query: npm view <pkg> time --json (JS/TS) or PyPI JSON API (Python)
• Find the most recent version where 1 day <= age < configured duration
• Prefer age >= 3 days (versions < 3 days old may be compromised)
• Reject versions < 1 day old (too fresh, security risk)
• If NO candidate has a version in the window: skip functional test with message "No suitable test package found in safe window. Direct file verification only."

User Confirmation Gate

BEFORE running any functional test, present to user via AskUserQuestion:

• header: Post-check
• question: "Verify age gate with functional test?"
• options:
  • label: "Approve"
  • description: "@ -- published (). Well-known package. Test runs in <project dir | temp dir> with --dry-run. Expected: BLOCKED by age gate."
  • label: "Skip"
  • description: "S

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