Git (Secure Clone)

Gate every git clone of a public repository with an automatic security assessment. Private/org repos clone immediately with no added friction.

Trigger

Any user request that involves cloning, checking out, or installing a Git repository.

Workflow

1. Parse the repo URL

Extract <host>, <owner>, and <repo> from the URL or shorthand the user provided.

Accept common forms: https://github.com/org/repo, [email protected]:org/repo.git, org/repo (assume GitHub when no host). Normalize to an HTTPS URL.

2. Probe: public or private?

Run this host-agnostic check (no API key needed):

GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0 \
GIT_ASKPASS=/bin/false \
git -c credential.helper= -c http.extraheader= \
  ls-remote --heads <normalized-https-url> 2>&1

When in doubt (rate-limited, ambiguous result), treat as public and run the gate.

3. Security gate (public repos only)

Read and execute the full assessment defined in the oss-security-check skill (../oss-security-check/SKILL.md).

Pass it:

• <url> — the normalized HTTPS URL
• <owner>/<repo> — extracted from the URL
• <host> — the git host
• Context: "This is a git repository the user wants to clone"

Wait for the assessment to complete. Present the results to the user.

4. User decision

After presenting the assessment, ask the user:

• Clone — proceed with the clone to the requested location
• Clone to sandbox — clone to a temporary/isolated directory instead
• Abort — do not clone

5. Execute the clone

If approved, run the clone. If the recommendation was "medium" or "high" risk, remind the user:

• Use read-only / scoped tokens if the tool needs credentials
• Prefer a throwaway repo for first use
• Look for a --dry-run mode before running with real data

6. Cleanup

The oss-security-check skill handles cleanup of its temporary shallow clone.

Customization

The public/private probe in Step 2 is generic. Teams should replace it with a check specific to their environment. For example:

• GitHub org allowlist: skip the gate for repos in your org
• Internal registry: skip for packages from your private registry
• Domain allowlist: skip for repos hosted on your company's GitLab instance

Ask your AI agent: "Modify the git skill so that repos in the <your-org> GitHub organization skip the security gate, and all other public repos are scanned before cloning."

Notes

• Private repo clones are unaffected — zero added latency.
• Public repo gate adds ~30-60 seconds (web search + code scan).
• This skill does NOT replace thorough security review for production dependencies. It is a fast first pass.