Trust Assessment
exa-search received a trust score of 55/100, placing it in the Caution category. This skill has some security considerations that users should review before deployment.
SkillShield's automated analysis identified 1 finding: 0 critical, 1 high, 0 medium, and 0 low severity. Key findings include Unpinned `npx` dependency allows arbitrary code execution.
The analysis covered 4 layers: Manifest Analysis, Static Code Analysis, Dependency Graph, LLM Behavioral Safety. All layers scored 70 or above, reflecting consistent security practices.
Last analyzed on March 20, 2026 (commit 9a478ad6). SkillShield performs automated 4-layer security analysis on AI skills and MCP servers.
Layer Breakdown
Behavioral Risk Signals
Security Findings1
| Severity | Finding | Layer | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HIGH | Unpinned `npx` dependency allows arbitrary code execution The skill's configuration for `exa-web-search` uses `npx -y exa-mcp-server` without specifying a version. This means that `npx` will always fetch and execute the latest available version of the `exa-mcp-server` package from npm. If a malicious actor were to publish a compromised version of `exa-mcp-server`, the agent would automatically download and execute this untrusted code. This creates a significant supply chain risk, potentially leading to remote code execution, data exfiltration, or other severe security breaches on the host system. Pin the `exa-mcp-server` dependency to a specific, known-good version (e.g., `npx -y exa-mcp-server@1.2.3`) to prevent automatic execution of potentially malicious updates. Regularly review and update the pinned version after verifying its integrity and security. | Static | SKILL.md:24 |
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