release: v5.4.0 — plugin-hygiene & settings-validation hardening

Three additive findings extend existing PLH and SET scanners (scanner count
stays 13; --json/--raw byte-stable):
- CA-PLH-015 plugin-folder shadowing — a plugin.json component-path key in the
  replaces-set (commands/agents/outputStyles) pointing at a custom path while
  the default folder still exists; mirrors CC /doctor & claude plugin list.
- CA-PLH-016 skills:-array validation — each entry must resolve to a directory
  inside the plugin root; flags non-string/escapes-root/not-found/not-a-directory;
  mirrors claude plugin validate.
- CA-SET autoMode — structure (only environment/allow/soft_deny/hard_deny string
  arrays; "$defaults" valid) = medium; dead-config (autoMode in shared
  .claude/settings.json is not read by CC) = low.

Release mechanics: version 5.3.0 -> 5.4.0 (plugin.json); CHANGELOG [5.4.0];
README badge/TOC/What's-New/version-history; knowledge v5.4.0 scanner-backing
facts. Gates: suite 949/949, self-audit A/A + readmeCheck.passed (count 13),
SC-5 byte-equal, gitleaks clean.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01Ter3E2JSi1Khgmuf2kady8

README.md

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 *AI-generated: all code produced by Claude Code through dialog-driven development. [Full disclosure →](../../README.md#ai-generated-code-disclosure)*
 
-![Version](https://img.shields.io/badge/version-5.3.0-blue)
+![Version](https://img.shields.io/badge/version-5.4.0-blue)
 ![Platform](https://img.shields.io/badge/platform-Claude_Code_Plugin-purple)
 ![Scanners](https://img.shields.io/badge/scanners-13-cyan)
 ![Commands](https://img.shields.io/badge/commands-18-green)
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ A Claude Code plugin that checks configuration health, suggests context-aware im
 
 ## Table of Contents
 
-- [What's New in v5.3.0](#whats-new-in-v530)
+- [What's New in v5.4.0](#whats-new-in-v540)
 - [What Is This?](#what-is-this)
 - [The Configuration Problem](#the-configuration-problem)
 - [Quick Start](#quick-start)
@@ -45,31 +45,28 @@ A Claude Code plugin that checks configuration health, suggests context-aware im
 
 ---
 
-## What's New in v5.3.0
+## What's New in v5.4.0
 
-**Permission-rule & plugin-hygiene hardening.** Five additive scanner findings extend the
-permission, CLAUDE.md, and plugin surfaces — no new scanner, so the count stays **13**:
+**Plugin-hygiene & settings-validation hardening.** Three additive findings extend the plugin and
+settings surfaces — no new scanner, so the count stays **13**:
 
-- **DIS forbidden-param rules** — flags `Tool(param:value)` whose key is the tool's own
-  canonicalizing field (`command`/`file_path`/`path`/`notebook_path`/`url`), which Claude Code
-  silently ignores with a startup warning. Severity by intent: deny/ask = false security
-  (medium), allow = dead config (low). Valid forms (`Bash(npm:*)`, `WebFetch(domain:host)`,
-  `Agent(model:opus)`) are never flagged.
-- **DIS ineffective allow-wildcards** — unanchored tool-name globs in `permissions.allow`
-  (`*`, `B*`, `mcp__*`) that CC silently skips, plus `Tool(*)` treated as deny-all
-  (`Bash(*)` ≡ `Bash`) so a bare allow killed by it is reported as dead config.
-- **CML context-window-scaled char budget** — mirrors CC's own *"Large CLAUDE.md will impact
-  performance (X chars > 40.0k)"* startup warning; anchors on the conservative 200k window and
-  discloses the relaxed ~200,000-char figure at 1M context. Char-keyed, complementary to the
-  existing line checks.
-- **PLH plugin namespace collision** — flags two or more plugins declaring the same `name` in
-  `plugin.json`; their namespaces collapse and Claude Code silently drops the loser's components.
-- **feature-gap `disableBundledSkills` lever** — recommends disabling bundled skills when the
-  active skill listing is over budget (remediation companion to `CA-SKL-002`).
+- **PLH plugin-folder shadowing** (`CA-PLH-015`) — flags a `plugin.json` component-path key in the
+  *replaces* set (`commands`/`agents`/`outputStyles`) that points at a custom path while the
+  default folder of that name still exists, so the folder is silently ignored (dead config).
+  Mirrors Claude Code's own warning in `/doctor`, `claude plugin list`, and the `/plugin` detail
+  view. `skills` is excluded (it *adds to* the default scan, never shadows), as are
+  `hooks`/`mcpServers`/`lspServers` (own merge rules); a custom path resolving *into* the default
+  folder is not flagged.
+- **PLH `skills:`-array validation** (`CA-PLH-016`) — validates each `plugin.json` `skills` entry
+  (string or array) resolves to an existing directory inside the plugin root; flags `non-string`,
+  `escapes-root`, `not-found`, and `not-a-directory` entries. Mirrors `claude plugin validate`.
+- **SET `autoMode` structure + dead-config** — checks that `autoMode` is an object whose only keys
+  are `environment`/`allow`/`soft_deny`/`hard_deny`, each a string array (the literal `"$defaults"`
+  is valid); unknown sub-keys and wrong types are flagged (medium). Separately, `autoMode` placed
+  in **shared** project settings (`.claude/settings.json`) is flagged as dead config (low) —
+  Claude Code's classifier does not read it there.
 
-The cross-plugin command-name finding is reframed from a HIGH conflict to a **LOW ambiguity** to
-match Claude Code's namespacing (`/name:command` keeps both commands reachable). `--json` and
-`--raw` output remain byte-stable.
+All three extend existing PLH and SET scanners. `--json` and `--raw` output remain byte-stable.
 
 ---
 
@@ -650,6 +647,7 @@ This plugin is cautious by design — configuration files are important, and a b
 
 | Version | Date | Highlights |
 |---------|------|-----------|
+| **5.4.0** | 2026-06-19 | Plugin-hygiene & settings-validation hardening. Three additive findings extend existing PLH and SET scanners (count stays **13**): PLH plugin-folder shadowing (`CA-PLH-015` — a `plugin.json` component-path key in the *replaces* set `commands`/`agents`/`outputStyles` pointing at a custom path while the default folder still exists) mirroring CC's `/doctor` & `claude plugin list` warning; PLH `skills:`-array validation (`CA-PLH-016` — each entry must resolve to a directory in the plugin root; flags `non-string`/`escapes-root`/`not-found`/`not-a-directory`) mirroring `claude plugin validate`; SET `autoMode` structure (only `environment`/`allow`/`soft_deny`/`hard_deny` string arrays) + dead-config (`autoMode` in shared `.claude/settings.json` is not read by CC). `--json`/`--raw` byte-stable. 949 tests |
 | **5.3.0** | 2026-06-19 | Permission-rule & plugin-hygiene hardening. Five additive scanner findings extend existing scanners (count stays **13**): DIS forbidden-param rules (`Tool(param:value)` on a canonicalizing field — deny/ask = false security, allow = dead config) and ineffective allow-wildcards + `Tool(*)` deny-all; CML context-window-scaled 40.0k-char CLAUDE.md budget mirroring CC's startup warning; PLH plugin namespace collision (two plugins declaring the same `name`); feature-gap `disableBundledSkills` lever under skill-listing pressure. PLH cross-plugin command-name overlap reframed HIGH → LOW (namespacing keeps both reachable). `--json`/`--raw` byte-stable. 936 tests |
 | **5.2.0** | 2026-06-18 | CC 2.1.114→181 compatibility + skill-listing budget. New orchestrated scanner **SKL** (`CA-SKL-001` 1,536-char listing cap, `CA-SKL-002` listing-budget sum) → 13 orchestrated scanners. Five validators refreshed for CC 2.1.114–181 settings/hook surface (`xhigh` effort, `MessageDisplay` + post-session events, 28 hook events). False positives eliminated in MCP (auto-injected/POSIX env vars, invented `trust` field) and permissions (param-aware DIS/CNF). Hermetic HOME isolation across all CLI-spawning tests. 875 tests |
 | **5.1.0** | 2026-05-01 | Plain-language UX humanizer. Default output of all 18 commands now leads with prose; findings grouped by user-impact category (Configuration mistake, Conflict, Wasted tokens, Missed opportunity, Dead config) and led by urgency phrase (Fix this now → FYI). New `--raw` flag preserves v5.0.0 verbatim output for tooling that scrapes stderr; `--json` is unchanged and byte-stable. New scanner-lib modules: `humanizer.mjs`, `humanizer-data.mjs` with TRANSLATIONS for 13 scanner prefixes. Self-audit terminal output also humanized. 792 tests (+157 humanizer-tester) |