---
title: "Skills"
description: "Specialized knowledge packages that enhance agent capabilities"
---

Skills are structured knowledge packages that give Strix agents deep expertise in specific vulnerability types, technologies, and testing methodologies.

## The Idea

LLMs have broad but shallow security knowledge. They know _about_ SQL injection, but lack the nuanced techniques that experienced pentesters use—parser quirks, bypass methods, validation tricks, and chain attacks.

Skills inject this deep, specialized knowledge directly into the agent's context, transforming it from a generalist into a specialist for the task at hand.

## How They Work

When Strix spawns an agent for a specific task, it selects up to 5 relevant skills based on the context:

```python
# Agent created for JWT testing automatically loads relevant skills
create_agent(
    task="Test authentication mechanisms",
    skills=["authentication_jwt", "business_logic"]
)
```

The skills are injected into the agent's system prompt, giving it access to:

- **Advanced techniques** — Non-obvious methods beyond standard testing
- **Working payloads** — Practical examples with variations
- **Validation methods** — How to confirm findings and avoid false positives

## Skill Categories

### Vulnerabilities

Core vulnerability classes with deep exploitation techniques.

| Skill                                 | Coverage                                               |
| ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| `authentication_jwt`                  | JWT attacks, algorithm confusion, claim tampering      |
| `idor`                                | Object reference attacks, horizontal/vertical access   |
| `sql_injection`                       | SQL injection variants, WAF bypasses, blind techniques |
| `xss`                                 | XSS types, filter bypasses, DOM exploitation           |
| `ssrf`                                | Server-side request forgery, protocol handlers         |
| `csrf`                                | Cross-site request forgery, token bypasses             |
| `xxe`                                 | XML external entities, OOB exfiltration                |
| `rce`                                 | Remote code execution vectors                          |
| `business_logic`                      | Logic flaws, state manipulation, race conditions       |
| `race_conditions`                     | TOCTOU, parallel request attacks                       |
| `path_traversal_lfi_rfi`              | File inclusion, path traversal                         |
| `open_redirect`                       | Redirect bypasses, URL parsing tricks                  |
| `mass_assignment`                     | Attribute injection, hidden parameter pollution        |
| `insecure_file_uploads`               | Upload bypasses, extension tricks                      |
| `information_disclosure`              | Data leakage, error-based enumeration                  |
| `subdomain_takeover`                  | Dangling DNS, cloud resource claims                    |
| `broken_function_level_authorization` | Privilege escalation, role bypasses                    |

### Frameworks

Framework-specific testing patterns.

| Skill     | Coverage                                     |
| --------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| `fastapi` | FastAPI security patterns, Pydantic bypasses |
| `nextjs`  | Next.js SSR/SSG issues, API route security   |

### Technologies

Third-party service and platform security.

| Skill      | Coverage                                               |
| ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| `supabase` | Supabase RLS bypasses, auth issues                     |
| `firebase` | Firebase Firestore, Storage rules, Auth, and Functions |

### Protocols

Protocol-specific testing techniques.

| Skill     | Coverage                                         |
| --------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| `graphql` | GraphQL introspection, batching, resolver issues |

### Reconnaissance

Passive discovery and attack-surface mapping techniques.

| Skill             | Coverage                                                        |
| ----------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `asset_discovery` | CT, TLS SAN pivoting, passive DNS, and ASN/IP asset enumeration |

### Tooling

Sandbox CLI playbooks for core recon and scanning tools.

| Skill       | Coverage                                                |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| `nmap`      | Port/service scan syntax and high-signal scan patterns  |
| `nuclei`    | Template selection, severity filtering, and rate tuning |
| `httpx`     | HTTP probing and fingerprint output patterns            |
| `ffuf`      | Wordlist fuzzing, matcher/filter strategy, recursion    |
| `subfinder` | Passive subdomain enumeration and source control        |
| `naabu`     | Fast port scanning with explicit rate/verify controls   |
| `katana`    | Crawl depth/JS/known-files behavior and pitfalls        |
| `sqlmap`    | SQLi workflow for enumeration and controlled extraction  |

## Skill Structure

Each skill is a Markdown file with YAML frontmatter for metadata:

```markdown
---
name: skill_name
description: Brief description of the skill's coverage
---

# Skill Title

Key insight about this vulnerability or technique.

## Attack Surface
What this skill covers and where to look.

## Methodology
Step-by-step testing approach.

## Techniques
How to discover and exploit the vulnerability.

## Bypass Methods
How to bypass common protections.

## Validation
How to confirm findings and avoid false positives.
```

## Contributing Skills

Community contributions are welcome. Create a `.md` file in the appropriate category with YAML frontmatter (`name` and `description` fields). Good skills include:

1. **Real-world techniques** — Methods that work in practice
2. **Practical payloads** — Working examples with variations
3. **Validation steps** — How to confirm without false positives
4. **Context awareness** — Version/environment-specific behavior
