What the reviewer found
Auto-generated Copilot instructions file; the flagged comment is a visible 'do not hand-edit, regenerate with this script' header, not a hidden instruction. The rm -rf only strips the .git directory from a freshly cloned scaffold template, and the curl call hits the vendor's own mcp.observability.progress.com endpoint using the user's own API key for a documented connectivity check.
installs-software— installs software
What was read
The file as it ships in observability-oss/progress-observability-plugin:
copilot/.github/copilot-instructions.md
What the static scan said
The scan flagged 3things. The reviewer kept 0 and dismissed 3 as false.
P2Hidden instructions — false positiveRMRecursive force delete — false positiveNETMakes network calls — false positive
How this review was made
Sonnet 5 read the files above on 7 September 2026 and answered three questions: is it dangerous to whoever installs it, is each scanner finding real, and what should the installer know. The verdict is bound to the file's hash; when the file changes, it is scanned afresh and reviewed again. A script that changes while the definition does not is not re-reviewed — that is a known gap. How the scan and the review work.