Grades are a hygiene check, not a security guarantee.

MCP, MCP server

covate

Covate - Context-aware learning sidebar for AI coding assistants, served as an MCP server.

Compatibility: Not stated.

Grade D

Two or more Medium findings, or a High. 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.

PERMISSION_SHELL_UNDECLARED INSTALL_REMOTE_SCRIPT

Why this grade

  • PERMISSION_SHELL_UNDECLARED Medium

    Runs shell commands that the manifest or description does not mention.

    scripts/install.ps1, line 134 Invoke-Expression $updateScript

  • INSTALL_REMOTE_SCRIPT Medium

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

    scripts/install.sh, line 3 # Usage: curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SunflowersLwtech/covate/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

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

    requests shell access. No manifest field names shell or command execution.

    PERMISSION_SHELL_UNDECLARED

    scripts/install.ps1, line 134

    Invoke-Expression $updateScript

  • 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

    CONTRIBUTING.md, line 58

    curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

    README.md, line 152

    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SunflowersLwtech/covate/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

    scripts/install.sh, line 3

    # Usage: curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SunflowersLwtech/covate/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

    Show more

    README.md, line 393

    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SunflowersLwtech/covate/main/scripts/update.sh | bash

    README_zh-CN.md, line 147

    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SunflowersLwtech/covate/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

    README_zh-CN.md, line 336

    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SunflowersLwtech/covate/main/scripts/update.sh | bash

    README_zh-TW.md, line 147

    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SunflowersLwtech/covate/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

    README_zh-TW.md, line 336

    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SunflowersLwtech/covate/main/scripts/update.sh | bash

    scripts/install.sh, line 112

    if curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SunflowersLwtech/covate/main/scripts/update.sh | bash; then

    scripts/install.sh, line 146

    curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

    scripts/update.sh, line 5

    # curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SunflowersLwtech/covate/main/scripts/update.sh | bash

    scripts/update.sh, line 164

    echo -e "${NC} curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SunflowersLwtech/covate/main/scripts/install.sh | bash${NC}"

    scripts/update.sh, line 255

    echo -e "${NC} curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SunflowersLwtech/covate/main/scripts/install.sh | bash${NC}"

    scripts/update.sh, line 364

    echo -e "${GRAY} curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SunflowersLwtech/covate/main/scripts/update.sh | bash${NC}"

  • Network

    Concern

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

    NETWORK_NO_FIXED_HOST NETWORK_UNNAMED_HOST

    platform/ingest.e2e.test.ts, line 126

    const res = await fetch(`${url}/api/ingest`, {

    platform/app/[locale]/dashboard/DeviceSignIn.tsx, line 25

    const res = await fetch("/api/auth/device/start", { method: "POST" });

    platform/app/[locale]/dashboard/DeviceSignIn.tsx, line 41

    const res = await fetch("/api/auth/device/poll", { method: "POST" });

    Show more

    platform/app/[locale]/dashboard/SyncToken.tsx, line 27

    const res = await fetch("/api/account/sync-token", { method });

    platform/app/lib/auth.ts, line 60

    const tokenRes = await fetch("https://github.com/login/oauth/access_token", {

    platform/app/lib/auth.ts, line 79

    const userRes = await fetch("https://api.github.com/user", {

    platform/app/lib/auth.ts, line 89

    const emailRes = await fetch("https://api.github.com/user/emails", {

    platform/app/lib/auth.ts, line 116

    const res = await fetch("https://github.com/login/device/code", {

    platform/app/lib/auth.ts, line 142

    const res = await fetch("https://github.com/login/oauth/access_token", {

    platform/scripts/provision-accounts.mjs, line 67

    "\n curl -s https://covate.org/api/ingest -H \"Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN\" \\" +

    src/covate/platform_sync.py, line 178

    with urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=20) as resp:

    src/covate/web/main.py, line 236

    const resp = await fetch('/api/learning/current');

  • Secrets

    Concern

    reads a credential or environment file.

    SECRETS_ENV_READ SECRETS_PATH_DOTENV

    platform/ingest.e2e.test.ts, line 109

    const run = await python(["-m", "covate.platform_sync", project], { COVATE_SYNC_URL: url, COVATE_SYNC_TOKEN: token, ...env });

    platform/app/lib/auth.ts, line 9

    const CLIENT_SECRET = process.env.GITHUB_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET;

    platform/app/lib/auth.ts, line 10

    const SESSION_SECRET = process.env.SESSION_SECRET;

    Show more

    src/covate/platform_sync.py, line 198

    sync_token = sync_token or os.environ.get("COVATE_SYNC_TOKEN")

    .dockerignore, line 24

    # Virtual environments

    .gitignore, line 58

    # Local development

    .gitignore, line 59

    .env

    .gitignore, line 106

    # env files: cover every variant, keep the checked-in examples

    .gitignore, line 107

    .env

    .gitignore, line 109

    !**/.env.example

    platform/.gitignore, line 6

    .vercel

  • Agent instructions

    Pass

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

  • Obfuscation

    Pass

    No encoded or minified payload found.

  • 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 1ce7cda23613. requests shell access. No manifest field names shell or command execution. 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 a host that is not written as a fixed address. can reach api.github.com. The description does not name that host. reads a credential or environment file.

Date and source

Date checked:

View source

github.com

Commit graded: 1ce7cda236137d6cfa8e29aba4969468c5fdd309

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