> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://ai-security-docs.akto.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://ai-security-docs.akto.io/akto-atlas-agentic-ai-security-for-employee-endpoints/endpoints-discovery-agents/kiro-cli-hooks.md).

# Kiro CLI Hooks

Akto Guardrails for Kiro CLI brings real-time security validation to AI interactions by hooking into Kiro CLI's native lifecycle hooks — validating prompts and tool calls before they execute, and reporting every event to your Akto dashboard.

## Key Features

* ✅ **Zero Installation** - No standalone apps to install
* ✅ **Transparent Integration** - Uses Kiro CLI's native hook mechanism
* ✅ **Real-time Protection** - Validates every prompt and tool call
* ✅ **Centralized Monitoring** - All events reported to Akto dashboard
* ✅ **Flexible Deployment** - Supports Argus and Atlas modes
* ✅ **Configurable Behavior** - Blocking or observation modes

## How It Works

Kiro CLI's hook system executes custom scripts at three points:

```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
    autonumber
    participant User
    participant PromptHook as userPromptSubmit Hook
    participant Kiro as Kiro Agent
    participant PreToolHook as preToolUse Hook
    participant Tool
    participant PostToolHook as postToolUse Hook
    participant Akto as Akto Dashboard

    User->>PromptHook: User submits prompt
    Note over PromptHook: Ingest prompt, warn if risky
    PromptHook-->>Akto: Report event
    PromptHook->>Kiro: Forward to model

    Kiro->>PreToolHook: Tool request
    Note over PreToolHook: Validate tool parameters
    alt Safe Tool Call
        PreToolHook->>Tool: Execute tool
        PreToolHook-->>Akto: Report event
    else Malicious
        PreToolHook-->>Kiro: Exit code 2 - reject tool
        PreToolHook-->>Akto: Report security event
    end

    Tool->>PostToolHook: Tool result
    Note over PostToolHook: Ingest tool input/output
    PostToolHook-->>Akto: Report event
    PostToolHook->>Kiro: Result
```

**3 Hook Points:**

1. `userPromptSubmit` - Ingests prompts before they're sent to the model. Cannot block — a non-zero exit only shows the user a warning, the prompt still proceeds.
2. `preToolUse` - Validates tool requests before execution. The only event that can block: exit code `2` rejects the tool call.
3. `postToolUse` - Ingests tool input/output after execution (observational only).

## File Structure

```
~/.kiro/
├── hooks/
│   └── akto/
│       ├── akto-validate-prompt-wrapper.sh    # userPromptSubmit wrapper
│       ├── akto-validate-pre-tool-wrapper.sh  # preToolUse wrapper
│       ├── akto-validate-post-tool-wrapper.sh # postToolUse wrapper
│       ├── akto-hooks.py                      # Event dispatcher
│       ├── akto_ingestion_utility.py          # Shared hook runner logic
│       └── akto_machine_id.py                 # Device ID utility
├── akto/
│   └── logs/
│       ├── validate-prompt.log
│       ├── validate-pre-tool.log
│       └── validate-post-tool.log
└── agents/
    └── <agent-name>.json                      # Agent config - hooks block goes here
```

**Key Files:**

* **Wrapper scripts (`.sh`)**: Set environment variables, invoke `akto-hooks.py`
  * ⚠️ **Contains `AKTO_DATA_INGESTION_URL` placeholder** - Must be replaced with your Akto instance URL
* **`akto-hooks.py`**: Single dispatch script — routes `preToolUse` to a blocking runner, `userPromptSubmit` to a warn-only runner, and everything else to an observability-only runner
* **`akto_ingestion_utility.py`**: Core validation/ingestion logic and Akto API communication
* **`akto_machine_id.py`**: Generates unique device identifiers for Atlas mode
* **Agent config (`hooks` block)**: Links hooks to wrapper scripts

## Setup Guide

### Prerequisites

* Kiro CLI installed ([Installation Guide](https://kiro.dev/docs/cli/quick-start/))
* Akto instance URL
* Python 3.7+
* macOS, Linux, or Windows with bash/zsh

### Installation Steps

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Create Directories**

```bash
mkdir -p ~/.kiro/hooks/akto
mkdir -p ~/.kiro/akto/logs
```

{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Download Hook Scripts**

```bash
# Base URLs for downloading hooks
HOOKS_BASE="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/akto-api-security/akto/master/apps/mcp-endpoint-shield/kiro-cli-hooks"
SHARED_BASE="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/akto-api-security/akto/master/apps/mcp-endpoint-shield/shared"

# Download wrapper scripts and dispatcher
curl -o ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/akto-validate-prompt-wrapper.sh \
  "${HOOKS_BASE}/akto-validate-prompt-wrapper.sh"
curl -o ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/akto-validate-pre-tool-wrapper.sh \
  "${HOOKS_BASE}/akto-validate-pre-tool-wrapper.sh"
curl -o ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/akto-validate-post-tool-wrapper.sh \
  "${HOOKS_BASE}/akto-validate-post-tool-wrapper.sh"
curl -o ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/akto-hooks.py \
  "${HOOKS_BASE}/akto-hooks.py"
curl -o ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/akto_machine_id.py \
  "${HOOKS_BASE}/akto_machine_id.py"

# Download shared ingestion utility
curl -o ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/akto_ingestion_utility.py \
  "${SHARED_BASE}/akto_ingestion_utility.py"

# Make executable
chmod +x ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/*.sh
```

{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Configure Akto Ingestion URL and API Token** ⚠️ **CRITICAL STEP**

{% hint style="warning" %}
All wrapper scripts contain the placeholders `{{AKTO_DATA_INGESTION_URL}}` and `{{AKTO_API_TOKEN}}` that **must be replaced** — the URL with your actual Akto instance URL, and the token with your Akto API token (obtain it from **Akto Atlas → Connectors → Setup Guardrail** card). If your deployment does not require auth, set the token to an empty string so the placeholder is removed (an unsubstituted `{{AKTO_API_TOKEN}}` would be sent as an invalid `Authorization` header).
{% endhint %}

**Automated replacement:**

```bash
# Set your Akto ingestion URL and API token
AKTO_URL="https://your-akto-instance.com"
AKTO_API_TOKEN="your-akto-api-token"   # leave empty ("") if your deployment doesn't require auth

# Update all wrapper scripts
sed -i.bak "s|{{AKTO_DATA_INGESTION_URL}}|${AKTO_URL}|g" ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/*-wrapper.sh
sed -i.bak "s|{{AKTO_API_TOKEN}}|${AKTO_API_TOKEN}|g" ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/*-wrapper.sh

# Verify replacement
grep -E "AKTO_DATA_INGESTION_URL|AKTO_API_TOKEN" ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/*-wrapper.sh
```

**Manual replacement (alternative):**

Edit each wrapper script and replace:

```bash
AKTO_DATA_INGESTION_URL="{{AKTO_DATA_INGESTION_URL}}"
AKTO_API_TOKEN="{{AKTO_API_TOKEN}}"
```

With:

```bash
AKTO_DATA_INGESTION_URL="https://your-akto-instance.com"
AKTO_API_TOKEN="your-akto-api-token"
```

Files to update:

* `akto-validate-prompt-wrapper.sh`
* `akto-validate-pre-tool-wrapper.sh`
* `akto-validate-post-tool-wrapper.sh`
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Configure Hooks**

Merge the `hooks` block below into your `kiro-cli` agent config (`~/.kiro/agents/<agent-name>.json`, or edit via `kiro-cli agent edit`):

```json
{
  "hooks": {
    "userPromptSubmit": [
      {
        "command": "bash ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/akto-validate-prompt-wrapper.sh"
      }
    ],
    "preToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "*",
        "command": "bash ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/akto-validate-pre-tool-wrapper.sh"
      }
    ],
    "postToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "*",
        "command": "bash ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/akto-validate-post-tool-wrapper.sh"
      }
    ]
  }
}
```

{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Configure Hook Behavior (Optional)**

Edit wrapper scripts to customize:

```bash
# In each *-wrapper.sh file:

MODE="atlas"                    # "argus" or "atlas"
AKTO_SYNC_MODE="true"          # "true" (blocking) or "false" (observe only)
AKTO_TIMEOUT="5"               # Timeout in seconds
AKTO_CONNECTOR="kiro_cli"
```

**Mode Options:**

* **Argus**: Standard validation and reporting
* **Atlas**: Includes device-specific metadata

**Sync Mode:**

* **true**: Blocks threats on `preToolUse` (exit code `2`)
* **false**: Reports but allows execution
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Install Python Dependencies**

```bash
pip3 install requests

# Verify installation
python3 -c "import requests; print('Requests installed successfully')"
```

{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Verify Installation**

Check logs to confirm hooks are working:

```bash
# View logs
tail -f ~/.kiro/akto/logs/validate-prompt.log
tail -f ~/.kiro/akto/logs/validate-pre-tool.log
tail -f ~/.kiro/akto/logs/validate-post-tool.log
```

Test by running a Kiro command:

```bash
kiro-cli chat "What is 2+2?"
```

You should see log entries indicating validation occurred.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Configuration Reference

### Wrapper Script Variables

```bash
MODE="atlas"                                            # "argus" or "atlas"
AKTO_DATA_INGESTION_URL="{{AKTO_DATA_INGESTION_URL}}"  # ⚠️ MUST REPLACE
AKTO_API_TOKEN="{{AKTO_API_TOKEN}}"                    # Akto API token (Authorization header)
AKTO_SYNC_MODE="true"                                  # "true" or "false"
AKTO_TIMEOUT="5"                                       # Timeout in seconds
AKTO_CONNECTOR="kiro_cli"                              # Connector identifier
```

### Environment Variables (Optional)

Override defaults via environment variables or config file:

**Option 1: Environment variables**

```bash
export MODE="atlas"
export AKTO_DATA_INGESTION_URL="https://your-akto-instance.com"
export AKTO_API_TOKEN="your-akto-api-token"
export AKTO_SYNC_MODE="true"
export AKTO_TIMEOUT="5"
```

**Option 2: Config file**

```bash
# Create ~/.kiro/akto/config
cat > ~/.kiro/akto/config << 'EOF'
AKTO_DATA_INGESTION_URL=https://your-akto-instance.com
AKTO_API_TOKEN=your-akto-api-token
AKTO_TIMEOUT=5
AKTO_SYNC_MODE=true
MODE=atlas
EOF

chmod 600 ~/.kiro/akto/config
```

## Troubleshooting

### Hooks Not Executing

```bash
# Check agent config contains a valid "hooks" block
cat ~/.kiro/agents/<agent-name>.json | python3 -m json.tool

# Verify scripts are executable
ls -la ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/
chmod +x ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/*.sh

# Check Kiro CLI version
kiro-cli --version
```

### Ingestion URL Not Configured

```bash
# Check if placeholder still exists
grep "{{AKTO_DATA_INGESTION_URL}}" ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/*-wrapper.sh

# Replace with actual URL
AKTO_URL="https://your-akto-instance.com"
sed -i.bak "s|{{AKTO_DATA_INGESTION_URL}}|${AKTO_URL}|g" ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/*-wrapper.sh
```

### Check Logs for Errors

```bash
# View logs
cat ~/.kiro/akto/logs/validate-prompt.log
cat ~/.kiro/akto/logs/validate-pre-tool.log
cat ~/.kiro/akto/logs/validate-post-tool.log

# Check for errors
grep -i error ~/.kiro/akto/logs/*.log
```

### Events Not in Dashboard

```bash
# Test API connectivity
curl -X POST "${AKTO_DATA_INGESTION_URL}/api/v1/events" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"test": "event"}'

# Verify URL in wrapper scripts
grep "AKTO_DATA_INGESTION_URL" ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/*-wrapper.sh
```

### Python Dependencies Missing

```bash
# Install required packages
pip3 install requests

# Verify installation
python3 -c "import requests; print(requests.__version__)"
```

## Uninstallation

To completely remove Akto hooks from Kiro CLI:

### Complete Removal

```bash
# 1. Remove the "hooks" block from your agent config
#    (edit ~/.kiro/agents/<agent-name>.json and delete the "hooks" key)

# 2. Remove Akto hook scripts
rm -rf ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/

# 3. Remove Akto logs (optional - keeps historical data if skipped)
rm -rf ~/.kiro/akto/

# 4. No restart needed - Kiro CLI reads agent config on each invocation
```

### Selective Removal (Keep Logs)

If you want to preserve logs for audit purposes:

```bash
# Remove only hooks and configuration
rm -rf ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/
# and remove the "hooks" block from your agent config

# Akto logs preserved in ~/.kiro/akto/
```

### Backup Before Removal

```bash
# Backup configuration and logs before removal
mkdir -p ~/akto-backup
cp ~/.kiro/agents/<agent-name>.json ~/akto-backup/kiro-agent.json.bak 2>/dev/null
cp -r ~/.kiro/akto/ ~/akto-backup/kiro-akto-logs/ 2>/dev/null

# Then proceed with removal steps above
```

### Verify Removal

```bash
# Check that hooks are removed
test -d ~/.kiro/hooks/akto && echo "⚠️  Hook scripts still exist" || echo "✅ Hook scripts removed"

# Check if logs are removed (if you chose to remove them)
test -d ~/.kiro/akto && echo "ℹ️  Logs still present" || echo "✅ Logs removed"
```

### Restore Kiro CLI to Default

After uninstallation, Kiro CLI will operate without Akto security monitoring. No additional configuration is needed beyond removing the files and the `hooks` block. Test with:

```bash
kiro-cli chat "Test message"
```

## Enterprise Deployment

### Automated Deployment Script

```bash
#!/bin/bash
# deploy-kiro-cli-hooks.sh

set -e
AKTO_URL="${1:-https://your-akto-instance.com}"
AKTO_API_TOKEN="${2:-}"   # optional: pass your Akto API token as the 2nd argument

echo "🔧 Installing Akto Guardrails for Kiro CLI..."

# Create directories
mkdir -p ~/.kiro/hooks/akto ~/.kiro/akto/logs

# Download hooks
HOOKS_BASE="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/akto-api-security/akto/master/apps/mcp-endpoint-shield/kiro-cli-hooks"
SHARED_BASE="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/akto-api-security/akto/master/apps/mcp-endpoint-shield/shared"
curl -s "${HOOKS_BASE}/akto-validate-prompt-wrapper.sh" -o ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/akto-validate-prompt-wrapper.sh
curl -s "${HOOKS_BASE}/akto-validate-pre-tool-wrapper.sh" -o ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/akto-validate-pre-tool-wrapper.sh
curl -s "${HOOKS_BASE}/akto-validate-post-tool-wrapper.sh" -o ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/akto-validate-post-tool-wrapper.sh
curl -s "${HOOKS_BASE}/akto-hooks.py" -o ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/akto-hooks.py
curl -s "${HOOKS_BASE}/akto_machine_id.py" -o ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/akto_machine_id.py
curl -s "${SHARED_BASE}/akto_ingestion_utility.py" -o ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/akto_ingestion_utility.py

# Make executable
chmod +x ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/*.sh

# Configure URL and token
sed -i.bak "s|{{AKTO_DATA_INGESTION_URL}}|${AKTO_URL}|g" ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/*-wrapper.sh
sed -i.bak "s|{{AKTO_API_TOKEN}}|${AKTO_API_TOKEN}|g" ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/*-wrapper.sh

echo "✅ Installation complete!"
echo "📍 Akto instance: ${AKTO_URL}"
echo "⚠️  Merge the hooks block into ~/.kiro/agents/<agent-name>.json (see Configure Hooks step)"
echo "Test with: kiro-cli chat 'What is 2+2?'"
```

**Deploy to developers:**

```bash
curl -fsSL https://your-org.com/deploy-kiro-cli-hooks.sh | bash -s https://your-akto-instance.com
```

## Quick Setup Summary

```bash
# 1. Create directories
mkdir -p ~/.kiro/hooks/akto ~/.kiro/akto/logs

# 2. Download all hook scripts from GitHub (see step 2 above)

# 3. ⚠️ Configure Akto URL and API token (REQUIRED)
AKTO_URL="https://your-akto-instance.com"
AKTO_API_TOKEN="your-akto-api-token"   # leave empty ("") if your deployment doesn't require auth
sed -i.bak "s|{{AKTO_DATA_INGESTION_URL}}|${AKTO_URL}|g" ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/*-wrapper.sh
sed -i.bak "s|{{AKTO_API_TOKEN}}|${AKTO_API_TOKEN}|g" ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/*-wrapper.sh

# 4. Make executable
chmod +x ~/.kiro/hooks/akto/*.sh

# 5. Merge the "hooks" block into your kiro-cli agent config (see step 4 above)

# 6. Install dependencies
pip3 install requests

# 7. Test
kiro-cli chat "What is 2+2?"
```

## Resources

* **GitHub**: <https://github.com/akto-api-security/akto>
* **Support**: <support@akto.io>
* **Community**: <https://www.akto.io/community>