Code Review & Testing · IN-DEPTH PROFILE

Differential Review Skill

Risk-first security review for diffs, commits, and pull requests with blast-radius analysis.

View listed source ↗Installation guide ↓
Best for

Security reviewers assessing consequential code changes

What you get

Triage changed files + Trace blast radius

Main limitation

Not intended for greenfield code or broad initial vulnerability discovery.

First risk

False assurance from incomplete context. A diff review can miss unchanged vulnerable dependencies, runtime configuration, or callers outside the available repository. State scope and do not convert review coverage into a security guarantee.

EVIDENCE FRESHNESS

Three checks, kept separate

A recent source check is not a runtime test or security audit.

Upstream sourceChecked 2026-09-23

Pinned revision · 32e34f81

Open pinned commit ↗
SkillSignal profileEditorial metadata

Updated 2026-09-23

Runtime & securityNot independently verified

Source review does not certify behavior or safety.

IN PLAIN ENGLISH

What it does—and when it fits

Differential Review is Trail of Bits' risk-first security review for pull requests, commits, and diffs. It adapts depth to repository size, uses history and test coverage, estimates blast radius, and escalates high-risk changes into adversarial analysis.

This is aimed at Security reviewers assessing consequential code changes. Compare the examples below with your task, then review the limitations, permissions, and risks before installing.

What you get
  • Triage changed filesClassify authentication, cryptography, external calls, and state changes by risk.
  • Trace blast radiusUse callers, dependencies, history, and removed safeguards to identify downstream impact.
  • Write evidence-backed findingsConnect each issue to lines, commits, tests, and concrete attack scenarios.
What makes it different
  • Prioritizes risky behavior over diff size and cosmetic change volume.
  • Makes coverage limits and confidence explicit in a durable report.
Community signalNo attributed third-party rating yet

No verified review text is in the current dataset. Use the linked source for the latest discussion.

Read the source note ↗

INSTALL BY AGENT

Choose your Agent

Paths come from official Agent docs or the universal installer behind skills.sh. Compatibility still follows this Skill's record.

Native

This Skill's current record explicitly names this Agent. Still inspect scripts, permissions, and external dependencies first.

Project install (recommended)
npx skills add trailofbits/skills --skill differential-review --agent claude-code
Personal install
npx skills add trailofbits/skills --skill differential-review --agent claude-code -g

Project install stays with this repository for team sharing. Personal install adds -g and works across repositories.

View install paths
Project path.claude/skills/differential-review/
Personal path~/.claude/skills/differential-review/
Official agent docs

Claude Code discovers custom Skill folders automatically at project or personal scope.

View path evidence ↗

TYPICAL WORKFLOW

A practical workflow

01

Triage changed files

Classify authentication, cryptography, external calls, and state changes by risk.

02

Trace blast radius

Use callers, dependencies, history, and removed safeguards to identify downstream impact.

03

Write evidence-backed findings

Connect each issue to lines, commits, tests, and concrete attack scenarios.

THE TRADEOFFS

Advantages and tradeoffs

Notable strengths

  1. Prioritizes risky behavior over diff size and cosmetic change volume.
  2. Makes coverage limits and confidence explicit in a durable report.

Limitations

  1. Not intended for greenfield code or broad initial vulnerability discovery.
  2. Large, high-risk changes can require hours of focused human review despite the workflow.

COMPARE THE TRADEOFF

Consider these close alternatives

These are deterministic nearby candidates, not paid placements or a universal ranking. Open the full profile before choosing.

01

Same job family · native to Claude Code

frontend-design

Design constraints that push generated interfaces beyond generic AI UI.
Tradeoff to check
Aesthetic judgments remain subjective and still need stakeholder review.
First risk
Style over function · Medium
Source state
Pinned · 34040c9c
Open frontend-design profile ↗
02

Same job family · native to Claude Code

mcp-builder

Plan, implement, and evaluate high-quality MCP servers in Python or TypeScript.
Tradeoff to check
The guide cannot replace current MCP SDK or target-API documentation.
First risk
Overpowered external-service tools · High
Source state
Pinned · 34040c9c
Open mcp-builder profile ↗
03

Same job family · native to Claude Code

skill-creator

Create, improve, and benchmark Agent Skills with trigger tests and comparative evaluation.
Tradeoff to check
Meaningful benchmarks require representative prompts, repeat runs, and careful human judgment.
First risk
Untrusted evaluation prompts and artifacts · High
Source state
Pinned · 34040c9c
Open skill-creator profile ↗
Compare more in the directory →

BEST FIT

Who it is for

→

Security reviewers assessing consequential code changes

→

Maintainers who need a traceable PR risk record

BEFORE YOU USE IT

Risks to review before use

High

False assurance from incomplete context

A diff review can miss unchanged vulnerable dependencies, runtime configuration, or callers outside the available repository. State scope and do not convert review coverage into a security guarantee.

SECURITY

What the permission profile means

  • Treat repository history and issue links as potentially sensitive evidence.
  • Require reproducible attack paths before escalating a speculative finding.

Not a security certification. External ratings are attributed references. SkillSignal has not independently executed or security-reviewed this Skill.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Differential Review Skill FAQ

What is the Differential Review Skill?

Risk-first security review for diffs, commits, and pull requests with blast-radius analysis. Differential Review is Trail of Bits' risk-first security review for pull requests, commits, and diffs. It adapts depth to repository size, uses history and test coverage, estimates blast radius, and escalates high-risk changes into adversarial analysis.

How do I install the Differential Review Skill?

Open and review the listed source, choose the project or personal path for your Agent, then verify the first run in a controlled project. Open the pinned commit and read the current SKILL.md.

Is the Differential Review Skill safe to use?

SkillSignal checked the source on 2026-09-23, but that is not a runtime test or security certification. Review the “False assurance from incomplete context” risk first and begin with the least access required.

INSIDE THE PACKAGE

Indexed files

SKILL.mdUpstream package contentSource-linked
methodology.mdUpstream package contentSource-linked
adversarial.mdUpstream package contentSource-linked
reporting.mdUpstream package contentSource-linked

TAGS

diff-reviewblast-radiusappsec

Original SkillSignal editorial profile grounded in Trail of Bits commit 32e34f81, checked 2026-09-23; not independently executed or security-certified.