# vuln-research

Investigate a CVE against your project: check affected versions, trace whether vulnerable code is used, and weigh patches against mitigations.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 350 installs · ★ 435
- Author: briiirussell
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/briiirussell/cybersecurity-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/vuln-research/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-05-27
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/vuln-research

## What it does

Given a CVE or vulnerability disclosure, this skill checks vendor guidance and fix history to narrow down affected versions. It can help trace the vulnerable code path in your project and look for public proof-of-concept exploits or a CISA KEV listing.

The workflow uses lockfiles and dependency trees to identify what runs, then examines the fix commit and searches for calls with `grep`. It considers upgrading, temporary safeguards, or accepting risk. A missing call is not enough to label a path unreachable; the skill asks for evidence behind that assessment. It pairs with `dependency-audit` and `finding-triage`.

## Requirements
- Works with: GitHub

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add briiirussell/cybersecurity-skills --skill vuln-research -a claude-code
```

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

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add briiirussell/cybersecurity-skills --skill vuln-research -a codex
```

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

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add briiirussell/cybersecurity-skills --skill vuln-research -a cursor
```

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

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install briiirussell/cybersecurity-skills vuln-research
```

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

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add briiirussell/cybersecurity-skills --skill vuln-research -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/briiirussell/cybersecurity-skills --path skills/vuln-research
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

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

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add briiirussell/cybersecurity-skills --skill vuln-research -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/briiirussell/cybersecurity-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/vuln-research/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- pin down which dependency versions a CVE affects
- trace whether project code reaches a vulnerable function
- check for a public PoC or active exploitation signals
- choose a patch or an interim mitigation
- record why accepting a vulnerability risk is justified

## Example prompts
- Check whether CVE-2024-12345 affects our dependencies and trace any vulnerable code paths.
- Research this CVE: identify affected versions, the fixing commit, and any public PoC.
- Find a patch for this vulnerability and suggest mitigations if we can't upgrade yet.

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 12a33534b080238d.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 12a33534b080238d
````text
---
name: vuln-research
description: "Research a specific CVE or vulnerability disclosure end-to-end — what version is affected, is your code reachable, is there a public PoC, is there a patch, what's the exposure window, what's the mitigation if you can't patch immediately. Use when the user mentions 'CVE,' 'vulnerability research,' 'is this CVE relevant,' 'zero-day,' 'CISA KEV,' 'GitHub Security Advisory,' 'reachability analysis,' 'patch analysis,' 'exploit availability,' 'EPSS,' 'CVSS,' or 'should we drop everything and patch this.'"
allowed-tools: Read, Grep, Glob, Bash, WebSearch, WebFetch
---

# Vuln Research — CVE Deep-Dive and Applicability Assessment

When a CVE drops, the question isn't "do we have this package?" — `dependency-audit` answers that. The questions are:

- Is the vulnerable code path actually invoked in our usage?
- Is there a public proof-of-concept making this easy to exploit?
- Is there a patch? When? What's our exposure window if we can't deploy in 24 hours?
- If we can't patch, what's the mitigation?
- Is CISA tracking it as actively exploited?

This skill walks that workflow end-to-end. Pairs with `dependency-audit` (which surfaces the CVE in the first place) and `finding-triage` (which closes the disposition loop).

## Workflow

### Step 1 — Pull the canonical sources

Start with the authoritative descriptions; everything downstream is summarized or sometimes wrong.

- **NVD record** — `https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-YYYY-NNNNN`
- **Vendor advisory** — search the vendor's security page; this is usually the most accurate description of which versions are affected and what the fix is
- **GitHub Security Advisory** — `https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-...` (often more concise than NVD, sometimes has detail NVD lacks; check the parent project's security tab)
- **CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog** — `https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog`. If the CVE is here, treat as actively exploited — patch within CISA's stated due date
- **EPSS score** — `https://www.first.org/epss/` — Exploit Prediction Scoring System; a 30-day probability of exploitation. Useful tiebreaker between high-CVSS-low-EPSS vs medium-CVSS-high-EPSS

### Step 2 — Confirm affected versions

Vendor advisories sometimes hedge ("affects versions before X"); pin down the exact range.

- Check the vendor's release notes and the commit history of the fix
- For OSS projects: find the patch commit (usually mentioned in the advisory) and run `git tag --contains <commit>` to see which releases include the fix
- For closed-source: the advisory is the only source — verify version comparisons carefully (semver isn't always observed)
- For monorepos / re-publishers: confirm the same fix landed in any forks or distributions you depend on

### Step 3 — Map to your environment

```bash
# Is the package installed at all?
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 12a33534b080238d

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the 12a33534b080238d tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

First 2912 of 10386 bytes. © briiirussell · MIT · https://github.com/briiirussell/cybersecurity-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/vuln-research/SKILL.md

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