Karabiner-Elements is a powerful tool for customizing keyboards on macOS
This report summarizes scanner evidence for pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements, a C++ project with 23,032 GitHub stars. SynthScan examined 95,861 lines of code across 945 source files, recording 111 pattern matches distributed across 5 syntactic categories. The legacy adjusted pattern signal is 1.3 (Low pattern signal); it is not an authorship estimate.
Use the findings to ask whether maintainers can explain intent, verify dependencies, simplify unnecessary scaffolding, and focus review effort. Risk Payload v1 adds ownership, supply-chain, over-engineering, and review-effort vectors when available. These are prompts for human verification, not probabilities, security findings, or measured maintenance costs.
Use each vector to guide manual verification of the underlying findings.
Payload schema: 1.0.0 · Engine: 2.0.0 · Scoring: heuristic-density-v1 · Scan date: 2026-10-31.
Can maintainers explain intent, assumptions, and trade-offs? 110 finding(s).
Are imports declared and package/API names verified? 1 finding(s).
Are wrappers, guards, and repeated structures necessary? 10 finding(s).
Which changes need focused human review? 111 finding(s).
This chart tracks the legacy adjusted pattern score across scan runs. Changes can reflect source changes, scan coverage, or detector/scoring versions; they do not measure AI adoption or prove that a team refactored code. Compare runs only when their scoring versions are compatible. The dashed line tracks the raw pattern-hit count.
Groups findings by configured severity weight. Severity is not a confidence estimate, security rating, or proof that a package is missing. Verify imports against the project's manifests and inspect each finding in its local design context.
This horizontal bar chart shows where configured pattern scores accumulate across directories. Treat the bars as locations to inspect, not as evidence of authorship or code quality. Use the file-level findings to decide whether a directory needs a focused ownership, dependency, complexity, or review check.
The scanner identified 111 distinct pattern matches across 5 syntactic categories. Each entry below represents a discrete location in the source code where the engine recorded a detector match to inspect in context. Expand any category row to inspect the individual file paths, line numbers, code snippets, and the lexical context (CODE, COMMENT, or STRING) in which each match was detected.
Reading the findings table: The Severity column indicates the configured finding weight (CRITICAL / HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW). The Context column identifies whether the match occurred inside executable code, an inline comment, or a string literal — legacy comment-context matches receive a ×1.5 score weight. The ⚡ bolt icon marks clustered matches: three or more patterns within a 10-line window, each receiving an additional ×1.5 density multiplier under the legacy scoring model.
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | appendix/GamePadViewer/src/game_pad_viewer.cpp | 1 | #include "game_pad_viewer.hpp" | COMMENT |
| LOW | appendix/get_frontmost_application_history/main.cpp | 1 | #include "console_user_server_client.hpp" | COMMENT |
| LOW | tests/src/types/src/test.cpp | 1 | #include "device_identifiers_test.hpp" | COMMENT |
| LOW | …src/core_configuration/src/core_configuration_test.hpp | 1 | #include "../../share/ut_helper.hpp" | COMMENT |
| LOW | …src/core_configuration/src/core_configuration_test.hpp | 1021 | // "from 3": "to 3", | COMMENT |
| LOW | …src/core_configuration/src/core_configuration_test.hpp | 1041 | // "": "", | COMMENT |
| LOW | …src/core_configuration/src/core_configuration_test.hpp | 1061 | profile.get_simple_modifications()->push_back_pair(); | COMMENT |
| LOW | tests/src/share/manipulator_helper.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/bin/cli/src/set_variables_from_stdin.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/bin/cli/src/main.cpp | 1 | #pragma clang diagnostic push | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/bin/cli/src/Bridging-Header.h | 1 | #include "pqrs/osx/process_info/impl/Bridging-Header.h" | COMMENT |
| LOW | …vice/include/core_service/agent/components_manager.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | …vice/include/core_service/agent/permission_checker.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | …ice/include/core_service/daemon/components_manager.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | …Service/include/core_service/daemon/device_grabber.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | …Service/include/core_service/daemon/device_grabber.hpp | 21 | #include "manipulator/manipulator_managers_connector.hpp" | COMMENT |
| LOW | …s/CoreService/include/core_service/daemon/receiver.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | …on/device_grabber_details/game_pad_stick_converter.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | …on/device_grabber_details/game_pad_stick_converter.hpp | 21 | // This event should be properly ignored. | COMMENT |
| LOW | …e/core_service/daemon/device_grabber_details/entry.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | …c/apps/CoreService/include/core_service/main/agent.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | …c/apps/CoreService/include/core_service/main/agent.hpp | 101 | COMMENT | |
| LOW | …/apps/CoreService/include/core_service/main/daemon.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/apps/CoreService/swift/Bridging-Header.h | 1 | #include "pqrs/osx/accessibility/impl/Bridging-Header.h" | COMMENT |
| LOW | …ver/include/console_user_server/components_manager.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | …oleUserServer/include/console_user_server/receiver.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | …lude/console_user_server/software_function_handler.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | …lude/console_user_server/software_function_handler.hpp | 41 | void add_frontmost_application_history(const application& application) { | COMMENT |
| LOW | …lude/console_user_server/software_function_handler.hpp | 61 | // 1. Mail | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/apps/ConsoleUserServer/swift/Bridging-Header.h | 1 | #include "console_user_server/runtime.h" | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/apps/ConsoleUserServer/src/runtime.cpp | 1 | #include "console_user_server/runtime.h" | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/apps/ConsoleUserServer/src/runtime.cpp | 81 | COMMENT | |
| LOW | src/apps/MultitouchExtension/src/Bridging-Header.h | 1 | #include "MultitouchPrivate.h" | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/apps/SettingsWindow/src/ContentViewStates.swift | 61 | context.servicesEnabled = nil | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/apps/SettingsWindow/src/Bridging-Header.h | 1 | #include "cpp/settings.hpp" | COMMENT |
| LOW | …ettingsWindow/src/cpp/settings_configuration_store.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/apps/SettingsWindow/src/cpp/settings.cpp | 1 | #include "settings.hpp" | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/apps/EventViewer/src/event_viewer.cpp | 1 | #include "event_viewer.hpp" | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/apps/share/swift/ServiceManagementHelper.swift | 41 | var pendingServices = services | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/share/hid_device_events_monitor.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/share/complex_modifications_assets_file.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/share/console_user_server_peer.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/share/iokit_utility.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/share/app_icon.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/share/notification_message_manager.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/share/event_tap_utility.hpp | 61 | return (flags & kCGEventFlagMaskSecondaryFn) ? event_type::key_down : event_type::key_up; | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/share/event_tap_utility.hpp | 81 | // JIS | 0x0251 | Wired Keyboard 2007 B JIS Map | 48 | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/share/event_queue.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/share/hid_keyboard_caps_lock_led_state_manager.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/share/constants.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/share/keyboard_suppression.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/share/keyboard_suppression.hpp | 21 | // Behavior: | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/share/keyboard_suppression.hpp | 41 | // necessarily produce a CGEvent immediately, or at all. With CGEventTap fallback | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/share/caps_lock_led_override_manager.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/share/xpc_client.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/share/process_lifecycle_manager.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/share/device_properties.hpp | 81 | // | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/share/device_properties.hpp | 161 | // The is_consumer property was added later, so compatibility with previous versions must be maintained. | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/share/types.hpp | 1 | #pragma once | COMMENT |
| LOW | src/share/types.hpp | 21 | #include "types/momentary_switch_event.hpp" | COMMENT |
| 30 more matches not shown… | ||||
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | tests/scripts/format_test_json.py | 21 | def find_compactable_object_spans(text): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/src/localization/test.py | 19 | def test_key_prefixes_match_resource_paths(self): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/src/localization/test.py | 28 | def test_application_translation_references(self): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/src/localization/test.py | 75 | def test_nested_resources_and_format(self): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/src/localization/test.py | 121 | def test_no_missing_translations_are_not_printed(self): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/src/localization/test.py | 154 | def test_duplicates_prevent_any_formatting(self): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/src/localization/test.py | 171 | def test_compile_catalog_and_preserve_output_on_invalid_sources(self): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/src/localization/test.py | 218 | def test_duplicate_keys_inside_one_file(self): | CODE |
| LOW | tests/src/localization/test.py | 230 | def test_empty_directory_is_rejected(self): | CODE |
| LOW | src/apps/localization/scripts/localizations.py | 128 | def print_missing_translations(resources): | CODE |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRITICAL | …gsWindow/src/View/ComplexModificationsAssetsView.swift | 56 | settings.configuration.selectedProfile.complexModifications.rules.contains( | CODE |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | README.md | 58 | #### Step 1: Get the source code | COMMENT |
| LOW | README.md | 68 | #### Step 2: Prepare code signing identities | COMMENT |
| LOW | README.md | 104 | #### Step 3: Build a package | COMMENT |
| LOW | README.md | 115 | #### Step 4: Install the package you built | COMMENT |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | tests/scripts/format_test_json.py | 21 | CODE | |
| LOW | tests/scripts/format_test_json.py | 92 | CODE | |
| LOW | tests/scripts/format_test_json.py | 127 | CODE | |
| LOW | tests/scripts/format_test_json.py | 172 | CODE | |
| LOW | tests/scripts/update_tests_input_json.py | 9 | CODE | |
| LOW | scripts/update_version.py | 10 | CODE |