ThumbGate Verification evidence
guide | developer machine supply chain guardrails

# Stop AI Assistants From Amplifying Supply-Chain Attacks.

Developer laptops and CI runners hold tokens, package-manager trust, and one-shot CLI install paths. ThumbGate turns that local execution risk into pre-action gates before an agent runs npm, PyPI, Docker, or shell commands that can expose credentials.

👍 Thumbs up reinforces good behavior
👎 Thumbs down blocks repeated mistakes

## Why this page exists

- Secrets scanners find leaks; ThumbGate blocks the agent behavior that creates or amplifies them.
- Supply Chain Safety templates should start with package lifecycle scripts, untrusted one-shot CLI installers, dependency autofixes, and credential exposure assessment.
- This is complementary to GitGuardian, endpoint security, and incident response because it governs the next local action.

## Why developer machines are now the blast radius

A compromised package does not need to break production directly. It can read .env, .npmrc, .pypirc, Docker config, SSH keys, and cloud tokens while an AI coding assistant repeats the trusted-looking command across more repos.

The high-ROI control is local and specific: detect risky execution before it runs, require review where exposure is plausible, and promote every missed incident into a durable ThumbGate rule.

## High-ROI gate templates

- Block package lifecycle secret harvest: stop install, postinstall, prepare, and similar scripts from reading local credential surfaces.
- Review untrusted CLI before execution: block curl-to-shell flows, unknown npx commands, uvx, and pipx run until the source and permissions are reviewed.
- Checkpoint dependency bot autofix: warn before Dependabot, Renovate, audit-fix, Docker pull, or broad package updates expand the trusted code surface.
- Require credential exposure assessment: force an answer about what credential lived where, what executed, and whether rotation is required.

## Where this creates revenue

This is a strong security wedge for teams that already run scanners but still let agents execute local install/update commands. The offer is not "replace your scanner"; it is "connect scanner and incident lessons to pre-action enforcement."

For the Workflow Hardening Sprint, pick one concrete local-risk pattern: package lifecycle scripts, one-shot installers, dependency bot autofixes, or unresolved credential exposure after a suspected compromise.

## FAQ

Does ThumbGate replace secrets scanning?

No. Secrets scanners tell you what leaked. ThumbGate blocks or checkpoints the agent behavior that can create or amplify the leak before execution.

Which supply-chain gate should teams enable first?

Start with one-shot CLI installers and package lifecycle scripts because those paths can execute before a human sees the diff.

Can this work with existing incident-response tools?

Yes. Use scanner, EDR, and incident-response findings as evidence, then turn the repeated local action pattern into a ThumbGate pre-action rule.