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Purpose / Development

Karpathy Guidelines Skill Security Audit

What the author says it does (original text)

Behavioral guidelines to reduce common LLM coding mistakes. Use when writing, reviewing, or refactoring code to avoid overcomplication, make surgical changes, surface assumptions, and define verifiable success criteria.

Independent security check

No obvious risks found in this check

Files checked
1
Risks found
0
Could it run dangerous commands?Looks for programs run straight after downloading, remote control of your computer, and hidden commands.No risks found
Could it expose your files or keys?Looks for uploads of files containing passwords or keys, and keys written directly in the code.No risks found
Could it delete files or keep running?Looks for broad file deletion, disk overwrites, and programs set to start automatically.No risks found
Could it bypass safety checks?Looks for skipped website security checks, excessive file access, or actions that skip your approval.No risks found
Could it mislead the AI or hide text?Checks the skill instructions for requests to ignore you, influence the report, or hide text in invisible characters.No risks found
Could it change links or payment recipients without asking?Looks for forced referral or payment changes combined with instructions to hide the change.No risks found

Inside this skill

4 instruction sections

This Skill is a set of behavioral guidelines for writing, reviewing, and refactoring code; its stated aim is to reduce overcomplication, hidden assumptions, and unverifiable changes. The complete provided source contains only prose, with no scripts, installation steps, credential requests, or network-operation instructions.

View source
SKILL.md:2In the instructionsOpen original file
---name: karpathy-guidelinesdescription: Behavioral guidelines to reduce common LLM coding mistakes. Use when writing, reviewing, or refactoring code to avoid overcomplication, make surgical changes, surface assumptions, and define verifiable success criteria.license: MIT
SKILL.md:17In the instructionsOpen original file
Before implementing:- State your assumptions explicitly. If uncertain, ask.- If multiple interpretations exist, present them - don't pick silently.- If a simpler approach exists, say so. Push back when warranted.- If something is unclear, stop. Name what's confusing. Ask.

The Skill directs an agent to implement only requested functionality, constrain the scope of edits, and define completion through tests or other checks. This shapes development decisions, but the visible content does not instruct access to user accounts, privilege expansion, data disclosure, or persistent system changes.

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SKILL.md:25In the instructionsOpen original file
**Minimum code that solves the problem. Nothing speculative.**- No features beyond what was asked.- No abstractions for single-use code.- No "flexibility" or "configurability" that wasn't requested.- No error handling for impossible scenarios.- If you write 200 lines and it could be 50, rewrite it.
SKILL.md:37In the instructionsOpen original file
**Touch only what you must. Clean up only your own mess.**When editing existing code:- Don't "improve" adjacent code, comments, or formatting.- Don't refactor things that aren't broken.- Match existing style, even if you'd do it differently.- If you notice unrelated dead code, mention it - don't delete it.
SKILL.md:53In the instructionsOpen original file
**Define success criteria. Loop until verified.**Transform tasks into verifiable goals:- "Add validation" → "Write tests for invalid inputs, then make them pass"- "Fix the bug" → "Write a test that reproduces it, then make it pass"- "Refactor X" → "Ensure tests pass before and after"
Start here · InstructionsSKILL.md
karpathy-guidelines
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Files and check records1 files

Coverage and gaps

Content covered in each file

These are the source ranges included in this check, not a guarantee that every issue has been resolved.

  • SKILL.mdFull text included

This report is for the version above. We read the available code and instructions without running the skill or checking extra packages it installs. This is not a promise of safety: a different version or setup may behave differently.

  • SKILL.mdInstructions

Operations mentioned in code and instructions

Connect to websites
SKILL.md:9In the instructionsOpen original file
Behavioral guidelines to reduce common LLM coding mistakes, derived from [Andrej Karpathy's observations](https://x.com/karpathy/status/2015883857489522876) on LLM coding pitfalls.
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File checksum (to compare versions)
7e37fe1a13405c907bf022d6d89c0f4035658ba63debd14f025de769ac264426