# vault-unlock

Runs a local Python helper to extract a sealed secret passphrase from vault.bin. Useful when an AI assistant must decode the binary store instead of inspecting raw bytes.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 502 installs
- Author: shipmate-fixtures
- License: not stated · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/shipmate-fixtures/buddy_qa_ai_skill/tree/HEAD/skills-src/vault-unlock/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-09-16
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/vault-unlock

## What it does

The secret string is kept inside `vault.bin` protected by a stream XOR keyed with PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256 across 480 000 iterations. Inspecting raw file contents directly fails. Neither the binary file nor `scripts/unlock.py` contains plain text, so the assistant cannot deduce the value by reading files.

Execution depends purely on the standard library of `python3`. The helper automatically detects `vault.bin` in the adjacent path, while a custom file location can be supplied as the first command-line argument. Decryption finishes in a fraction of a second.

A damaged file or invalid signature immediately triggers exit code 1 due to an HMAC mismatch. Guessing bytes manually causes false outputs, making the stdout of `scripts/unlock.py` the single source of truth.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add shipmate-fixtures/buddy_qa_ai_skill --skill vault-unlock -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/vault-unlock/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/vault-unlock/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add shipmate-fixtures/buddy_qa_ai_skill --skill vault-unlock -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/vault-unlock/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add shipmate-fixtures/buddy_qa_ai_skill --skill vault-unlock -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/vault-unlock/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install shipmate-fixtures/buddy_qa_ai_skill vault-unlock
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/vault-unlock/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add shipmate-fixtures/buddy_qa_ai_skill --skill vault-unlock -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/shipmate-fixtures/buddy_qa_ai_skill --path skills-src/vault-unlock
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/vault-unlock/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add shipmate-fixtures/buddy_qa_ai_skill --skill vault-unlock -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/shipmate-fixtures/buddy_qa_ai_skill/tree/HEAD/skills-src/vault-unlock/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- extract the hidden secret string from `vault.bin`
- verify binary storage integrity with HMAC
- decrypt the fixture using standard `python3` modules

## Example prompts
- What is the secret word hidden in vault.bin?
- Read the secret from vault.bin using scripts/unlock.py
- Run scripts/unlock.py with /tmp/test_vault.bin to inspect the secret

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NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md