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ARXIV:2604.06811 · AGENT SECURITY · SUBMITTED 10 APR · 00:14 UTC · FRESHNESS STALE
ARXIV:2604.06811AGENT SECURITYSUBMITTED 10 APR · 00:14 UTCFRESHNESS STALEYunhao Feng · Yifan Ding · Yingshui Tan · Boren Zheng · Yanming Guo · Xiaolong Li · +3 at arXiv
SkillTrojan introduces a novel backdoor attack on skill-based agent systems, demonstrating high attack success with minimal performance degradation.
Opportunity summary
Pain SkillTrojan introduces a novel backdoor attack on skill-based agent systems, demonstrating high attack success with minimal performance degradation.
Evidence 49 refs | 3 sources | 67% coverage
Blocker Evidence unverified
SkillTrojan introduces a novel backdoor attack on skill-based agent systems, demonstrating high attack success with minimal performance degradation. We propose SkillTrojan, a backdoor attack that targets skill implementations rather than model parameters or training…
Skill-based agent systems tackle complex tasks by composing reusable skills, improving modularity and scalability while introducing a largely unexamined security attack surface. We propose SkillTrojan, a backdoor attack that targets skill implementations rather than…
ScienceToStartup currently rates this 7.0/10 on the public viability pass. SkillTrojan also supports automated synthesis of backdoored skills from arbitrary skill templates, enabling scalable propagation across skill-based agent ecosystems. Code availability is flagged in…
Agent Security moved forward this cycle; last verified April 2026. Public score 7.0/10. Production flags indicate code availability.
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mobile layout uses overflow-hidden min-w-0 break-wordsOpportunity summary
Score7.0Public score shown from the verified overall while the stale axis breakdown refreshesAnalysis summary
SkillTrojan introduces a novel backdoor attack on skill-based agent systems, demonstrating high attack success with minimal performance degradation.
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Paper Pack
10.48550/arXiv.2604.06811SkillTrojan introduces a novel backdoor attack on skill-based agent systems, demonstrating high attack success with minimal performance degradation.
Abstract
Skill-based agent systems tackle complex tasks by composing reusable skills, improving modularity and scalability while introducing a largely unexamined security attack surface. We propose SkillTrojan, a backdoor attack that targets skill implementations rather than model parameters or training data. SkillTrojan embeds malicious logic inside otherwise plausible skills and leverages standard skill composition to reconstruct and execute an attacker-specified payload. The attack partitions an encrypted payload across multiple benign-looking skill invocations and activates only under a predefined trigger. SkillTrojan also supports automated synthesis of backdoored skills from arbitrary skill templates, enabling scalable propagation across skill-based agent ecosystems. To enable systematic evaluation, we release a dataset of 3,000+ curated backdoored skills spanning diverse skill patterns and trigger-payload configurations. We instantiate SkillTrojan in a representative code-based agent setting and evaluate both clean-task utility and attack success rate. Our results show that skill-level backdoors can be highly effective with minimal degradation of benign behavior, exposing a critical blind spot in current skill-based agent architectures and motivating defenses that explicitly reason about skill composition and execution. Concretely, on EHR SQL, SkillTrojan attains up to 97.2% ASR while maintaining 89.3% clean ACC on GPT-5.2-1211-Global.
Source availability
PDF linkedThe paper record includes a public PDF URL.
Extraction status
Parse run linkedA document parse run is attached to this paper.
Proof status
unverified49 refs; 3 sources; 67% coverage.
What was readable
Derived fallback: Estimated from adjacent evidence; not verified from source.
Viability
Time to MVP
Commercial
Export
Preparing verified analysis
Dimensions overall score 7.0
PROBLEM
SkillTrojan introduces a novel backdoor attack on skill-based agent systems, demonstrating high attack success with minimal performance degradation. We propose SkillTrojan, a backdoor attack that targets skill implementations rather than model parameters or training data.
METHOD
Skill-based agent systems tackle complex tasks by composing reusable skills, improving modularity and scalability while introducing a largely unexamined security attack surface. We propose SkillTrojan, a backdoor attack that targets skill implementations rather than model parame...
RESULT
ScienceToStartup currently rates this 7.0/10 on the public viability pass. SkillTrojan also supports automated synthesis of backdoored skills from arbitrary skill templates, enabling scalable propagation across skill-based agent ecosystems. Code availability is flagged in the pr...
WHY NOW
Agent Security moved forward this cycle; last verified April 2026. Public score 7.0/10. Production flags indicate code availability.
Abstract-backed public claims while anchored extraction refreshes.
SkillTrojan introduces a novel backdoor attack on skill-based agent systems, demonstrating high attack success with minimal performance degradation. We propose SkillTrojan, a backdoor attack that targets skill implementations rather than model parameters or training data.
Abstract-backed fallback claim; anchored extraction has not materialized a public claim row yet.
partial
Skill-based agent systems tackle complex tasks by composing reusable skills, improving modularity and scalability while introducing a largely unexamined security attack surface. We propose SkillTrojan, a backdoor attack that targets skill implementations rather than model parameters or training data.
Abstract-backed fallback claim; anchored extraction has not materialized a public claim row yet.
partial
ScienceToStartup currently rates this 7.0/10 on the public viability pass. SkillTrojan also supports automated synthesis of backdoored skills from arbitrary skill templates, enabling scalable propagation across skill-based agent ecosystems. Code availability is flagged in the production record; the public repository link still needs proof alignment.
Abstract-backed fallback claim; anchored extraction has not materialized a public claim row yet.
partial
Agent Security moved forward this cycle; last verified April 2026. Public score 7.0/10. Production flags indicate code availability.
Abstract-backed fallback claim; anchored extraction has not materialized a public claim row yet.
partial
Paper-native neighborhood for concepts, methods, materials, markets, and competitors. Missing lanes stay labeled instead of disappearing behind commercialization gates.
Concepts
Methods
Materials
Markets
Competitors
SkillTrojan introduces a novel backdoor attack on skill-based agent systems, demonstrating high attack success with minimal performance degradation.
Segment
Agent Security
Adoption evidence
No public code link in the paper record yet
Commercial read
7.0/10 public viability
Direct
Adjacent
Substitute
Unknown
No indexed public discussion is attached to 2604.06811 yet. That is a visibility signal, not a blank module: the monitor is watching the public channels below.
Hacker News
Not indexed yet
Not indexed yet
Bluesky
Not indexed yet
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Reference metadata is not materialized in the public index yet. The source PDF remains the authority; cache refresh is optional.
CITED BY
No citing papers are indexed in the public S2S graph yet. This is an explicit zero-signal state, not a hidden lookup.
Extension
Commercially relevant
Owned Distribution
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3/3 checks · 100%
Build Passport
Build passport pending - Proof Lab budget No verified cost estimate / $7.00 cap
status
missing
reason
passport_row_missing
proof status
unverified
cost/budget
No verified cost estimate
confidence low
next verification path
Build brief missing until Build Passport data exists.
Source missing: Build Passport payload.
Experiment plan missing until prototype path is available.
No prototype path attached.
Validation checklist missing until required assets, cost, and regulatory flags are verified.
No checklist artifact is attached to the Build Passport payload.
Derived signals show verified:false until source-backed receipts exist.
Evidence coverage
OpportunityKernel evidence_receipt
49 refs / 3 sources / 67% coverage
stale
Verify missing sources before using this as buyer proof. verified:false
Build readiness
BuildPassport EvidenceState
passport absent
stale
Run Proof Lab or inspect typed missing state. verified:false
Artifact maturity
GitHub and Hugging Face maturity payloads
No public artifact surface observed
stale
Open source artifacts or mark the gap as missing. verified:false
Technical feasibility
partial
Current read
Runnable path is not fully verified.
Evidence
No Build Passport payload attached.
Gaps
Next test
Run minimal reproduction from the Build Passport prototype path.
Market urgency
partial
Current read
Research evidence exists; buyer urgency still needs source proof.
Evidence
49 references, 3 sources, 67% evidence coverage.
Gaps
Next test
Collect buyer interview, deployment evidence, or cited demand signal.
Buyer clarity
missing
Current read
No budget owner is verified for this paper.
Evidence
Build tab has no CRM, procurement, or operator source.
Gaps
Next test
Map target operator, economic buyer, and procurement trigger.
Defensibility
missing
Current read
Defensibility signals are missing.
Evidence
No defensibility receipt attached.
Gaps
Next test
Refresh defensibility bars with source receipts.
Integration burden
missing
Current read
No public implementation surface observed.
Evidence
No GitHub or Hugging Face payload attached.
Gaps
Next test
Write integration checklist from prototype path and target workflow.
Capital intensity
missing
Current read
No observed cost estimate is verified.
Evidence
Cost passport has no observed_usd value.
Gaps
Next test
Run cost passport or mark the cost field not applicable.
Regulatory load
missing
Current read
No regulatory classification is attached.
Evidence
Build Passport ledger does not include regulatory flags.
Gaps
Next test
Classify regulatory flags before commercialization planning.
No named scientific founder assigned.
Paper authors are not treated as operators without consent.
People
No named person assigned.
Gaps
Next verification path
Prototype owner missing.
Build Passport does not name an implementer.
People
No named person assigned.
Gaps
Next verification path
Operator workflow not sourced.
No buyer or workflow interview attached.
People
No named person assigned.
Gaps
Next verification path
No GTM owner verified.
No CRM or outreach source attached.
People
No named person assigned.
Gaps
Next verification path
Regulatory need unclassified.
No clinical or regulatory source attached.
People
No named person assigned.
Gaps
Next verification path
ARTIFACTS
No public artifacts yet.
DEFENSIBILITY
Defensibility and confidence evidence pending.
WATCHTOWER
No verified watchtower monitor rows yet.
FORESIGHT
No prediction yet — minted on next Foresight batch.
OPPORTUNITYKERNEL CHANGES SINCE LAST VIEW
No verified OpportunityKernel changes since the last view.
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE UPDATES
No verified competitive landscape changes yet.
RELATED PAPER UPDATES
No verified related paper changes yet.
SIGNAL CANVAS HISTORY AND DELTAS
No Signal Canvas history deltas yet.
TIMELINE
Save this paper to start tracking momentum - commits, demos, and score changes appear here.
No tracked events yet.
Score trend will appear after multiple data points.
BUZZ
Buzz trend pending.