claude-cowork-linux

maintainer johnzfitch · 3 votes · scanned 2026-08-03 00:08:14.047287

MEDIUM

Why flagged This PKGBUILD executes code from a personal GitHub repository (johnzfitch/claude-cowork-linux) with 'SKIP' checksum verification, then uses that repo's own fetch-dmg.js script to dynamically determine and download a DMG URL at build time with no integrity check. The DMG is Anthropic's proprietary macOS Claude Desktop binary, which is then unpacked, patched by enable-cowork.py (also from the same unverified repo), and repacked. The core concerns are: (1) the git source has SKIP checksum so any commit to that repo could inject malicious code into fetch-dmg.js, enable-cowork.py, or the stub JS files that get baked into the final asar; (2) the DMG download URL is dynamically resolved at build time with no hash verification, allowing CDN-level substitution; (3) npm installs @electron/asar from the npm registry without a lockfile or integrity pin. The stubs/cowork/*.sh files are installed as executable scripts. This is a genuine medium-severity supply-chain concern: unverified executed code from a personal host modifying and repackaging proprietary binaries, not a false positive. It is not high because there is no evidence of active malice or obfuscation — it appears to be a legitimate but poorly secured community packaging effort.

Triggered rules

MEDIUM npm/yarn/pnpm install of an undeclared external package npm_install_external

Runs `npm/yarn/pnpm install <package>` for a package not in source=(), pulling unpinned, unreviewed code at build time. Severity downgraded: the package declares/looks like a Node.js consumer, where build-time installs are expected.

PKGBUILD:66 npm install --prefix "${srcdir}" @electron/asar >/dev/null 2>&1

MEDIUM AI review llm_review

An AI model (anthropic/claude-4.6-sonnet-20260217) reviewed this and agrees it is MEDIUM (confidence 82%): This PKGBUILD executes code from a personal GitHub repository (johnzfitch/claude-cowork-linux) with 'SKIP' checksum verification, then uses that repo's own fetch-dmg.js script to dynamically determine and download a DMG URL at build time with no integrity check. The DMG is Anthropic's proprietary macOS Claude Desktop binary, which is then unpacked, patched by enable-cowork.py (also from the same unverified repo), and repacked. The core concerns are: (1) the git source has SKIP checksum so any commit to that repo could inject malicious code into fetch-dmg.js, enable-cowork.py, or the stub JS files that get baked into the final asar; (2) the DMG download URL is dynamically resolved at build time with no hash verification, allowing CDN-level substitution; (3) npm installs @electron/asar from the npm registry without a lockfile or integrity pin. The stubs/cowork/*.sh files are installed as executable scripts. This is a genuine medium-severity supply-chain concern: unverified executed code from a personal host modifying and repackaging proprietary binaries, not a false positive. It is not high because there is no evidence of active malice or obfuscation — it appears to be a legitimate but poorly secured community packaging effort.

PKGBUILD

1 offending line(s) highlighted

      1# Maintainer: Zack Fitch <zack@internetuniverse.org>
    
      2pkgname=claude-cowork-linux
    
      3pkgver=1.1.4010
    
      4pkgrel=10
    
      5pkgdesc="Anthropic Claude Desktop with Cowork (local agent) support for Linux"
    
      6arch=('x86_64')
    
      7url="https://github.com/johnzfitch/claude-cowork-linux"
    
      8license=('custom:proprietary')
    
      9depends=(
    
      10    'electron'
    
      11    'nodejs'
    
      12)
    
      13# gnome-keyring is recommended but not required; launcher detects SecretService
    
      14# at runtime and falls back to --password-store=basic if unavailable
    
      15makedepends=(
    
      16    'p7zip'
    
      17    'npm'
    
      18    'curl'
    
      19)
    
      20optdepends=(
    
      21    'xdg-utils: for opening URLs'
    
      22    'bubblewrap: for sandbox isolation'
    
      23    'gnome-keyring: SecretService provider for secure credential storage'
    
      24    'kwallet: SecretService provider for KDE users'
    
      25    'python: for enable-cowork.py patch script'
    
      26)
    
      27provides=('claude-cowork' 'claude-desktop')
    
      28conflicts=(
    
      29    'claude-cowork'
    
      30    'claude-desktop'
    
      31    'claude-desktop-bin'
    
      32    'claude-desktop-native'
    
      33    'claude-desktop-appimage'
    
      34)
    
      35options=('!strip')
    
      36
    
      37source=(
    
      38    "git+https://github.com/johnzfitch/claude-cowork-linux.git"
    
      39)
    
      40sha256sums=(
    
      41    'SKIP'
    
      42)
    
      43
    
      44pkgver() {
    
      45    cd "${srcdir}"
    
      46
    
      47    # Use Node.js to query the DMG API
    
      48    local version
    
      49    version=$(node "${srcdir}/claude-cowork-linux/fetch-dmg.js" 2>/dev/null \
    
      50        | awk '{print $1}')
    
      51
    
      52    echo "${version:-1.1.4010}"
    
      53}
    
      54
    
      55prepare() {
    
      56    cd "${srcdir}"
    
      57
    
      58    # Fetch latest DMG URL via Node.js, download with curl
    
      59    echo "Fetching latest Claude Desktop DMG URL..."
    
      60    local dmg_url
    
      61    dmg_url=$(node "${srcdir}/claude-cowork-linux/fetch-dmg.js" --url)
    
      62    echo "Downloading DMG from CDN..."
    
      63    curl -fSL --progress-bar -o "${srcdir}/Claude.dmg" "$dmg_url"
    
      64
    
      65    # Install asar tool locally
    
      66    npm install --prefix "${srcdir}" @electron/asar >/dev/null 2>&1
    
      67}
    
      68
    
      69build() {
    
      70    cd "${srcdir}"
    
      71
    
      72    local _asar="${srcdir}/node_modules/.bin/asar"
    
      73    local _repo="${srcdir}/claude-cowork-linux"
    
      74
    
      75    # Extract DMG with 7z
    
      76    echo "Extracting DMG..."
    
      77    local seven_z_exit=0
    
      78    7z x -y "${srcdir}/Claude.dmg" -o"${srcdir}/dmg-extracted" >/dev/null 2>&1 || seven_z_exit=$?
    
      79    # 7z exit 1 = warning (e.g. "Dangerous link path" for /Applications symlink)
    
      80    if [[ $seven_z_exit -gt 2 ]]; then
    
      81        echo "Error: Failed to extract DMG (7z exit code: $seven_z_exit)"
    
      82        return 1
    
      83    fi
    
      84
    
      85    # Find Claude.app and app.asar
    
      86    local _claude_app
    
      87    _claude_app=$(find "${srcdir}/dmg-extracted" -name "Claude.app" -type d | head -1)
    
      88    if [[ -z "$_claude_app" ]]; then
    
      89        echo "Error: Claude.app not found in DMG"
    
      90        return 1
    
      91    fi
    
      92
    
      93    local _app_asar="${_claude_app}/Contents/Resources/app.asar"
    
      94    if [[ ! -f "$_app_asar" ]]; then
    
      95        echo "Error: app.asar not found at: $_app_asar"
    
      96        return 1
    
      97    fi
    
      98
    
      99    # Extract app.asar
    
      100    "$_asar" extract "$_app_asar" "${srcdir}/linux-app-extracted"
    
      101
    
      102    # Copy unpacked native modules if present
    
      103    local _unpacked="${_claude_app}/Contents/Resources/app.asar.unpacked"
    
      104    if [[ -d "$_unpacked" ]]; then
    
      105        cp -r "$_unpacked"/* "${srcdir}/linux-app-extracted/" 2>/dev/null || true
    
      106    fi
    
      107
    
      108    # Copy resources/ from DMG (i18n, icons, etc.) excluding the asar itself
    
      109    local _resources_dir="${_claude_app}/Contents/Resources"
    
      110    mkdir -p "${srcdir}/linux-app-extracted/resources"
    
      111    for item in "$_resources_dir"/*; do
    
      112        local name
    
      113        name=$(basename "$item")
    
      114        case "$name" in
    
      115            app.asar|app.asar.unpacked) continue ;;
    
      116        esac
    
      117        cp -r "$item" "${srcdir}/linux-app-extracted/resources/$name" 2>/dev/null || true
    
      118    done
    
      119
    
      120    # Bake stubs into node_modules
    
      121    mkdir -p "${srcdir}/linux-app-extracted/node_modules/@ant/claude-swift/js"
    
      122    mkdir -p "${srcdir}/linux-app-extracted/node_modules/@ant/claude-native"
    
      123    cp -f "${_repo}/stubs/@ant/claude-swift/js/index.js" \
    
      124          "${srcdir}/linux-app-extracted/node_modules/@ant/claude-swift/js/index.js"
    
      125    cp -f "${_repo}/stubs/@ant/claude-native/index.js" \
    
      126          "${srcdir}/linux-app-extracted/node_modules/@ant/claude-native/index.js"
    
      127
    
      128    # Copy frame-fix files
    
      129    cp -f "${_repo}/stubs/frame-fix/frame-fix-entry.js" \
    
      130          "${srcdir}/linux-app-extracted/frame-fix-entry.js"
    
      131    cp -f "${_repo}/stubs/frame-fix/frame-fix-wrapper.js" \
    
      132          "${srcdir}/linux-app-extracted/frame-fix-wrapper.js"
    
      133
    
      134    # Copy cowork orchestration modules
    
      135    mkdir -p "${srcdir}/linux-app-extracted/cowork"
    
      136    cp -f "${_repo}"/stubs/cowork/*.js \
    
      137          "${srcdir}/linux-app-extracted/cowork/"
    
      138    cp -f "${_repo}"/stubs/cowork/*.sh \
    
      139          "${srcdir}/linux-app-extracted/cowork/" 2>/dev/null || true
    
      140
    
      141    # Apply cowork patch
    
      142    echo "Applying cowork patch..."
    
      143    python "${_repo}/enable-cowork.py" \
    
      144        "${srcdir}/linux-app-extracted/.vite/build/index.js"
    
      145
    
      146    # Repack into app.asar
    
      147    echo "Repacking app.asar..."
    
      148    "$_asar" pack "${srcdir}/linux-app-extracted" "${srcdir}/app.asar"
    
      149}
    
      150
    
      151package() {
    
      152    cd "${srcdir}"
    
      153
    
      154    # Install repacked app.asar
    
      155    install -Dm644 "${srcdir}/app.asar" \
    
      156                   "${pkgdir}/usr/lib/claude-cowork/app.asar"
    
      157
    
      158    # Install i18n locale JSON files to electron's resources directory.
    
      159    # The app reads these via process.resourcesPath at startup, which resolves
    
      160    # to the system electron's resources dir -- not inside the asar.
    
      161    local _electron_name
    
      162    _electron_name=$(basename "$(readlink -f /usr/bin/electron)")
    
      163    local _electron_resources="/usr/lib/${_electron_name}/resources"
    
      164    mkdir -p "${pkgdir}${_electron_resources}"
    
      165    install -m644 "${srcdir}/linux-app-extracted/resources/"*.json \
    
      166        "${pkgdir}${_electron_resources}/"
    
      167
    
      168    # Install plugin permission shim to electron resources dir.
    
      169    # The asar copies this to <sessionStorageDir>/shim-lib/shim.sh at session start.
    
      170    install -m755 "${srcdir}/linux-app-extracted/cowork/cowork-plugin-shim.sh" \
    
      171        "${pkgdir}${_electron_resources}/cowork-plugin-shim.sh"
    
      172
    
      173    # Install launcher script
    
      174    install -Dm755 /dev/stdin "${pkgdir}/usr/bin/claude-cowork" <<'EOF'
    
      175#!/bin/bash
    
      176# Claude Cowork Linux launcher
    
      177
    
      178if [[ -n "$WAYLAND_DISPLAY" ]] || [[ "$XDG_SESSION_TYPE" == "wayland" ]]; then
    
      179    export ELECTRON_OZONE_PLATFORM_HINT=wayland
    
      180fi
    
      181
    
      182# Detect password store backend
    
      183PW_STORE="gnome-libsecret"
    
      184if ! dbus-send --session --print-reply --dest=org.freedesktop.DBus /org/freedesktop/DBus \
    
      185     org.freedesktop.DBus.NameHasOwner string:"org.freedesktop.secrets" 2>/dev/null \
    
      186     | grep -q "boolean true"; then
    
      187    PW_STORE="basic"
    
      188fi
    
      189
    
      190exec electron /usr/lib/claude-cowork/app.asar \
    
      191    --no-sandbox \
    
      192    --disable-gpu \
    
      193    --password-store="$PW_STORE" \
    
      194    --enable-features=GlobalShortcutsPortal "$@"
    
      195EOF
    
      196
    
      197    # Install desktop entry
    
      198    install -Dm644 /dev/stdin "${pkgdir}/usr/share/applications/claude-cowork.desktop" <<EOF
    
      199[Desktop Entry]
    
      200Name=Claude Cowork
    
      201Comment=Anthropic Claude Desktop with local agent support
    
      202Exec=claude-cowork %U
    
      203Icon=claude-cowork
    
      204Type=Application
    
      205Categories=Development;Utility;
    
      206MimeType=x-scheme-handler/claude;
    
      207StartupWMClass=Claude
    
      208EOF
    
      209
    
      210    # Extract icon from DMG's Claude.app if available
    
      211    local _claude_app
    
      212    _claude_app=$(find "${srcdir}/dmg-extracted" -name "Claude.app" -type d 2>/dev/null | head -1)
    
      213    if [[ -n "$_claude_app" ]]; then
    
      214        local _icns="${_claude_app}/Contents/Resources/AppIcon.icns"
    
      215        # Try to convert .icns to png (icns2png from libicns)
    
      216        if [[ -f "$_icns" ]] && command -v icns2png &>/dev/null; then
    
      217            icns2png -x -s 256 "$_icns" -o "${srcdir}/" 2>/dev/null || true
    
      218            local _icon
    
      219            _icon=$(ls -S "${srcdir}/"*.png 2>/dev/null | head -1)
    
      220            if [[ -n "$_icon" ]]; then
    
      221                install -Dm644 "$_icon" \
    
      222                    "${pkgdir}/usr/share/icons/hicolor/256x256/apps/claude-cowork.png"
    
      223            fi
    
      224        fi
    
      225    fi
    
      226
    
      227    # Install license notice
    
      228    install -Dm644 /dev/stdin "${pkgdir}/usr/share/licenses/${pkgname}/LICENSE" <<EOF
    
      229Claude Desktop is proprietary software by Anthropic PBC.
    
      230This package provides a Linux compatibility layer for the macOS app.
    
      231See https://www.anthropic.com/legal/consumer-terms for terms of service.
    
      232EOF
    
      233}
    
      234

Scan history

Scanned at (UTC)	Severity	Rules
2026-08-03 00:08:14	MEDIUM	2
2026-08-02 00:16:08	MEDIUM	2
2026-08-01 00:11:18	MEDIUM	2
2026-07-31 00:14:10	MEDIUM	2
2026-07-30 00:17:23	MEDIUM	2
2026-07-29 00:25:53	MEDIUM	2
2026-07-28 00:07:28	MEDIUM	2
2026-07-27 00:24:32	MEDIUM	2
2026-07-26 00:07:32	MEDIUM	2
2026-07-25 00:13:44	MEDIUM	2
2026-07-24 00:02:28	MEDIUM	2
2026-07-23 00:14:47	MEDIUM	2
2026-07-22 00:29:32	MEDIUM	2
2026-07-21 00:24:15	MEDIUM	2
2026-07-20 00:19:49	MEDIUM	2
2026-07-19 00:17:08	MEDIUM	2
2026-07-18 00:14:48	MEDIUM	2
2026-07-17 00:06:16	MEDIUM	2
2026-07-16 00:05:41	MEDIUM	2
2026-07-15 00:09:25	MEDIUM	2