Summary
atomic-agents-stack: Parallel helper/delegate batch reserves $0 for models absent from the pricing table, bypassing the cost-cap fan-out guard
_estimate_batch_cost (atomic_agents/agent.py) looks up the per-model output price with PRICING.get(model, {}), returning 0.0 for any model not in the hardcoded pricing table. _check_batch_reservation then early-returns when the reservation is <= 0, skipping the batch reservation entirely. That reservation is the only defense against the documented fan-out race where every parallel helper/delegate reads the identical pre-batch on-disk cost total and each passes its individual check even though the collective spend overruns the configured cap.
Impact: an operator running any model not in the pricing table (self-hosted/Ollama/vLLM, a new provider SKU) with cost_guardrails + daily_cap_usd set believes the cap protects them, but a single parallel batch can blow past the cap. The parallel-helper model argument can also be steered to an unknown id. The sibling dream._estimate_dream_cost does this correctly (PRICING.get(model, _fallback_pricing())), which makes this a clear defect.
Affected: agent.py (_estimate_batch_cost / _check_batch_reservation), all versions through 1.0.0.
Fix: use PRICING.get(model, _costs._fallback_pricing())['output'] (mirror dream/calc_cost). Add a conformance test asserting an unknown-model batch reserves > 0 and that an over-cap unknown-model batch raises CostGuardrailBlocked.
Impact
The application allocates resources such as memory, threads, or file descriptors based on untrusted input without enforcing a cap. Typical impact: resource exhaustion leading to denial of service.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-J659-8XH6-5PQ5? GHSA-J659-8XH6-5PQ5 is a high-severity allocation of resources without limits or throttling vulnerability in atomic-agents-stack (pip), affecting versions <= 1.0.0. It is fixed in 1.1.0. The application allocates resources such as memory, threads, or file descriptors based on untrusted input without enforcing a cap.
- Which versions of atomic-agents-stack are affected by GHSA-J659-8XH6-5PQ5? atomic-agents-stack (pip) versions <= 1.0.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-J659-8XH6-5PQ5? Yes. GHSA-J659-8XH6-5PQ5 is fixed in 1.1.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-J659-8XH6-5PQ5 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-J659-8XH6-5PQ5 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether GHSA-J659-8XH6-5PQ5 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix GHSA-J659-8XH6-5PQ5? Upgrade
atomic-agents-stackto 1.1.0 or later.