Grades are a hygiene check, not a security guarantee.

MCP, MCP server

cortex

🧠 Try Cortex in your browser — zero install, 124KB WASM, runs entirely client-side.

Compatibility: Not stated.

Grade D

Two or more Medium findings, or a High finding. Only try it in a sandbox.

Graded by PlugVetRubric v2

Not a guarantee. A hygiene check of the source at the commit shown, not a security audit.

Rescanned at commit 00f0e38da36b, unchanged since the check below.

INSTALL_REMOTE_SCRIPT SECRETS_PATH_CREDENTIAL

Why this grade

  • INSTALL_REMOTE_SCRIPT High

    Fetches a script from the network and runs it (a pipe to a shell, or an install hook with a URL).

    install.sh, line 22 curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/${REPO}/main/install.sh | bash

  • SECRETS_PATH_CREDENTIAL Medium

    Mentions a credential store path (~/.ssh, id_rsa, .npmrc, .aws/credentials, credentials.json, .netrc).

    scripts/publish.sh, line 70 [ -n "${NPM_TOKEN:-}" ] && echo "//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken=${NPM_TOKEN}" > ~/.npmrc

Any High, or two or more Medium findings, give D. One Medium gives C. Low findings or a security Note give B. Each code names a finding behind the letter.

If you think this grade is wrong, email [email protected] with the entry link and your evidence. We aim to acknowledge within two working days and decide within seven. If we confirm an error, we aim to correct it within 24 hours of confirming it. These are aims, not guarantees.

Grades are a hygiene check of the source at the commit shown, on the date checked, not a security audit or a guarantee. The free directory grades are automated. Before release, a PlugVet engineer reviews every paid report and any grade we hold back, including all F grades, against the source code and the evidence we quote.

What was checked

Plain notes from the hygiene checks.

  • Permissions

    Concern

    can delete files.

    PERMISSION_DELETE_FILES

    bench/recall_multihop.py, line 40

    p = subprocess.Popen([BIN, db], stdin=subprocess.PIPE, stdout=subprocess.PIPE,

    bench/recall_multihop.py, line 303

    shutil.rmtree(TMP, ignore_errors=True)

    bench/recall_scale.py, line 17

    p=subprocess.Popen([BIN,db],stdin=subprocess.PIPE,stdout=subprocess.PIPE,stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,text=True,env=e)

    Show more

    npm/bin/install.js, line 157

    fs.rmSync(tmpDir, { recursive: true, force: true });

  • Install and update

    Serious

    install fetches a script from the network. The docs document an installer that pipes a download into a shell. README documents an installer that pipes a download into a shell.

    INSTALL_REMOTE_SCRIPT INSTALL_DOCUMENTED_INSTALLER

    QUICK_START_PROMPT.md, line 11

    Run: curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gambletan/cortex/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --ide claude

    README.md, line 235

    curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

    install.sh, line 22

    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/${REPO}/main/install.sh | bash

    Show more

    README.md, line 782

    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gambletan/cortex/main/install.sh | bash

    README_CN.md, line 197

    curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

    README_CN.md, line 580

    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gambletan/cortex/main/install.sh | bash

    README_JA.md, line 195

    curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

    README_JA.md, line 528

    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gambletan/cortex/main/install.sh | bash

    README_KO.md, line 195

    curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

    README_KO.md, line 528

    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gambletan/cortex/main/install.sh | bash

    install.sh, line 23

    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/${REPO}/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --ide claude

    install.sh, line 24

    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/${REPO}/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --lite --ide all

    x-community-post.md, line 56

    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gambletan/cortex/main/install.sh | bash

    x-thread-cross-device-memory.md, line 58

    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gambletan/cortex/main/install.sh | bash

    docs/guides/integrations.md, line 337

    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gambletan/cortex/main/install.sh | bash

    openclaw-plugin/README.md, line 13

    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gambletan/cortex/main/install.sh | bash

  • Network

    Concern

    can reach api.github.com. The description does not name that host. can reach a host that is not written as a fixed address.

    NETWORK_NO_FIXED_HOST NETWORK_UNNAMED_HOST

    install.sh, line 64

    LATEST=$(curl -fsSL "https://api.github.com/repos/${REPO}/releases/latest" | grep '"tag_name"' | sed -E 's/.*"([^"]+)".*/\1/')

    install.sh, line 77

    curl -fsSL "${DOWNLOAD_URL}" -o "${TMP}/${TARBALL}"

    deploy/cortex-cloud/deploy.sh, line 42

    curl -fsS "http://$listen/healthz" >/dev/null 2>&1 && break

    Show more

    deploy/cortex-cloud/deploy.sh, line 45

    curl -fsS "http://$listen/healthz" >/dev/null || { docker logs --tail 50 cortex-cloud; exit 1; }

    deploy/cortex-cloud/deploy.sh, line 61

    code=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' "$base/t/AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA/mcp")

    docs/pkg/cortex_wasm.js, line 420

    module_or_path = fetch(module_or_path);

    npm/bin/install.js, line 56

    const request = https.get(url, { headers: { "User-Agent": "cortex-memory-npm" } }, (res) => {

    scripts/check-no-network-egress.sh, line 15

    reqwest ureq isahc surf attohttpc curl curl-sys

    scripts/probe-http.sh, line 78

    if curl -fsS --connect-timeout 1 --max-time 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$PORT/health" >/dev/null 2>&1; then READY=1; break; fi

    scripts/probe-http.sh, line 91

    H=$(curl -fsS --connect-timeout 2 --max-time 5 "http://127.0.0.1:$PORT/health" 2>/dev/null)

    scripts/probe-http.sh, line 98

    if curl -fsS --connect-timeout 2 --max-time 5 "http://127.0.0.1:$PORT/v1/stats" >/dev/null 2>&1; then

  • Secrets

    Concern

    reads a credential or environment file.

    SECRETS_ENV_READ SECRETS_PATH_CREDENTIAL SECRETS_PATH_DOTENV

    bench/locomo_bench.py, line 75

    api_key = os.environ.get("ANTHROPIC_API_KEY")

    bench/locomo_bench.py, line 77

    env_path = Path.home() / "work" / "X-Auto" / ".env"

    scripts/publish.sh, line 70

    [ -n "${NPM_TOKEN:-}" ] && echo "//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken=${NPM_TOKEN}" > ~/.npmrc

    Show more

    .gitignore, line 10

    # Environment / secrets

    openclaw-plugin/.gitignore, line 1

    dist/

  • Agent instructions

    Pass

    No instruction to ignore earlier instructions or to hide a step.

  • Obfuscation

    Note

    a file was over the read cap and was not fully read.

    OBFUSCATION_FILE_OVER_READ_CAP

    $TMPDB4-wal, line 1

    7�-��O�_�T�R��D��O�_�T���nl�SQLite format 3@ ._

    bench/data/locomo10.json, line 1

    [

  • Licence

    Pass

    A licence file is present (LICENSE).

  • Maintainer activity

    Pass

    The latest commit is within the last 365 days.

Get the full report on this tool, £49

Note

Hygiene check of commit 00f0e38da36b. can delete files. install fetches a script from the network. The docs document an installer that pipes a download into a shell. README documents an installer that pipes a download into a shell. can reach api.github.com. The description does not name that host. can reach a host that is not written as a fixed address. reads a credential or environment file. a file was over the read cap and was not fully read.

Date and source

Date checked:

View source

github.com

Commit graded: 00f0e38da36bdafc8b40cf235aaac9e53bdf8548

This link goes to the original host. PlugVet does not host or check what you download from there, and installing it is your own decision and risk.

Read how this letter is chosen