Research
Security News
Malicious npm Packages Inject SSH Backdoors via Typosquatted Libraries
Socket’s threat research team has detected six malicious npm packages typosquatting popular libraries to insert SSH backdoors.
Quickly evaluate the security and health of any open source package.
@zitterorg/laudantium-rerum
2.1.11
by loandinhb931
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
Malicious code in @zitterorg/laudantium-rerum (npm) Source: ghsa-malware (e45ff91dd83cc149d7abc8c6fb2c74e3509aa341e23c72cfac0a34868a4e2637) Any computer that has this package installed or running should be considered fully compromised. All secrets and keys stored on that computer should be rotated immediately from a different computer. The package should be removed, but as full control of the computer may have been given to an outside entity, there is no guarantee that removing the package will remove all malicious software resulting from installing it.
azure-graphrbac
6.5.6
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The source code is clearly malicious, as it exfiltrates sensitive information (directory, hostname, username, home directory, and `package.json` contents) to external servers. The connections to suspicious domains further indicate malicious intent. The provided reports were placeholders and did not identify these critical issues.
Live on npm for 17 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
mindspore-dev
2.1.0.dev20230813
Removed from pypi
Blocked by Socket
The code contains several points of potential exploitation, particularly through the use of subprocess and dynamic code execution based on user input. This could lead to command injection or execution of arbitrary code if proper validations are not implemented. Therefore, caution should be exercised when using this code in a production environment.
Live on pypi for 5 hours and 12 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
fca-zeid
1.5.9
by shinthl09
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code implements a WebSocket server that handles client connections, performs session management, and executes various operations based on client messages. However, it introduces several security risks, including the use of the 'Eval' module for executing arbitrary code, lack of input validation and sanitization, and the presence of hardcoded credentials and secrets. These issues can lead to code injection vulnerabilities, data leakage, and other security vulnerabilities. The code should be thoroughly reviewed and improved to ensure secure communication, proper input handling, and protection against potential attacks.
Live on npm for 38 days, 2 hours and 8 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
rdkit
2022.9.2
Live on pypi
Blocked by Socket
The code snippet exhibits critical security vulnerabilities such as SQL injection and command injection due to unsanitized user inputs. Immediate action is required to implement input validation and sanitization to mitigate these risks.
fccui
1.0.0
by johnhaland91
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code explicitly indicates that it is executing 'malicious code' and sends this information to a remote server. This behavior is highly suspicious and indicates potential malicious intent.
Live on npm for 25 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
finsys-webcomponent
1.1.2
by bbbb131
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code collects sensitive system information without user consent and sends it to an external server via a Discord webhook. The code gathers data such as the user's internal IP address, external IP address (obtained via an HTTP request to 'https[:]//ipinfo[.]io/json'), hostname, username, home directory, DNS server information, and package details from 'package.json'. This information is then formatted into a JSON object and transmitted to a hardcoded Discord webhook URL ('https[:]//discord[.]com/api/webhooks/...'). This behavior constitutes unauthorized data exfiltration and poses significant privacy and security risks.
Live on npm for 13 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
ing-kit-ow-karma-config
2.2.163
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The source code is designed to exfiltrate sensitive system information (hostname, username, current working directory, network interfaces) to a remote server using DNS queries. This behavior is indicative of malicious intent, posing a significant security risk.
Live on npm for 6 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
balena-cli
20.0.2
by balena.io
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
The code collects and transmits user data and system information to a remote server for telemetry and error tracking. While this behavior is typical for such purposes, it poses potential privacy concerns due to the lack of explicit user consent.
@hishprorg/aut-nam-ab
1.0.0
by hatrungvk94
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This package was removed from the npm registry for security reasons.
Live on npm for 15 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
ent-unified-logon-template
3.21.0
by husae
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code exhibits malicious behavior by exfiltrating environment variables to an external server, which poses a significant security risk. The domain used is obfuscated, indicating an attempt to hide malicious intent.
Live on npm for 18 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
shopify-netsuite-connector
99.99999.9990
by ashleykutcher
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code collects sensitive system information and environment variables and sends them to a hardcoded Discord webhook URL. This behavior is highly suspicious and can be considered malicious due to the potential for data theft and unauthorized data transmission.
Live on npm for 32 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
msldowr
4.16.28
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This package was removed from the npm registry for security reasons.
Live on npm for 45 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
arts
2024.4.3.3
Removed from pypi
Blocked by Socket
The code exhibits several concerning behaviors, including the prevention of user access to developer tools, the ability to execute arbitrary code via remote method calls, and the potential for data exposure. These factors contribute to a moderate to high risk assessment, indicating that further investigation and security measures are necessary.
Live on pypi for 5 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
sticky-tax
99.10.9
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code exhibits clear signs of malicious behavior involving data theft and exfiltration. It encodes and sends sensitive system and user data to a suspicious domain via both DNS queries and HTTPS POST requests.
Live on npm for 14 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
cors-typescript-server
99.10.9
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code exhibits clear signs of malicious behavior involving data theft and exfiltration. It encodes and sends sensitive system and user data to a suspicious domain via both DNS queries and HTTPS POST requests.
Live on npm for 16 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
racvxen
1.2.0
by 17b4a931
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This code poses a serious security risk and should not be used.
Live on npm for 43 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
ml-cookie-control
6.568.3
by hmgc-lp
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is designed to exfiltrate environment variables to a suspicious domain if certain conditions are not met. This behavior is indicative of malicious intent, as it involves unauthorized data transmission to an external server.
@zitterorg/laudantium-rerum
2.2.21
by loandinhb931
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
Malicious code in @zitterorg/laudantium-rerum (npm) Source: ghsa-malware (e45ff91dd83cc149d7abc8c6fb2c74e3509aa341e23c72cfac0a34868a4e2637) Any computer that has this package installed or running should be considered fully compromised. All secrets and keys stored on that computer should be rotated immediately from a different computer. The package should be removed, but as full control of the computer may have been given to an outside entity, there is no guarantee that removing the package will remove all malicious software resulting from installing it.
fca-xyz
7.6.22
by imdeku
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This code is highly suspicious and should not be used without further investigation. The code is heavily obfuscated and could potentially contain malicious code. The purpose of the code is unclear and further investigation is necessary to determine its exact behavior.
Live on npm for 24 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
label-studio
0.9.0rc1
Removed from pypi
Blocked by Socket
The code shows advanced JavaScript usage for various functionalities including async operations and prototype manipulation. However, there are significant security risks due to potential XSS, code injection, and prototype pollution. Review and mitigation strategies, such as sanitizing inputs and limiting dynamic code execution, should be considered.
Live on pypi for 16 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
nespresso-bi
3.3.99-9.0
by jakickme
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The source code exhibits malicious behavior by collecting and transmitting sensitive system information to an external server. The use of encoding and connection to a suspicious domain further indicates potential data theft. The placeholder reports provided do not contain any meaningful information.
Live on npm for 6 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
phup
1.1.0
by bradoer
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This script is highly suspicious and poses a significant security risk. It downloads and executes code from an untrusted source, which could lead to various malicious activities.
Live on npm for 20 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
oracle-sanctuary-pqc086
1.0.0
by afifaljafari112
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code imports several libraries with peculiar names and calls a `functame` method on each of them within a single function. This behavior is unusual and suggests the potential for malicious activities or obfuscation, especially since the purpose of the `functame` method is unclear. Without further information on the libraries themselves, it's difficult to definitively conclude the intent. Review of the actual library code would be necessary to fully understand any potential security risks.
Live on npm for 57 days, 10 hours and 30 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
nwa-uikit-web
1.0.4
by poc-scrt
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This script is potentially malicious as it exfiltrates sensitive information by sending the contents of the '/proc/self/environ' file to a remote server. The specific risk level depends on the intentions of the remote server and the sensitivity of the environment variables.
Live on npm for 29 days, 11 hours and 36 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
@zitterorg/laudantium-rerum
2.1.11
by loandinhb931
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
Malicious code in @zitterorg/laudantium-rerum (npm) Source: ghsa-malware (e45ff91dd83cc149d7abc8c6fb2c74e3509aa341e23c72cfac0a34868a4e2637) Any computer that has this package installed or running should be considered fully compromised. All secrets and keys stored on that computer should be rotated immediately from a different computer. The package should be removed, but as full control of the computer may have been given to an outside entity, there is no guarantee that removing the package will remove all malicious software resulting from installing it.
azure-graphrbac
6.5.6
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The source code is clearly malicious, as it exfiltrates sensitive information (directory, hostname, username, home directory, and `package.json` contents) to external servers. The connections to suspicious domains further indicate malicious intent. The provided reports were placeholders and did not identify these critical issues.
Live on npm for 17 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
mindspore-dev
2.1.0.dev20230813
Removed from pypi
Blocked by Socket
The code contains several points of potential exploitation, particularly through the use of subprocess and dynamic code execution based on user input. This could lead to command injection or execution of arbitrary code if proper validations are not implemented. Therefore, caution should be exercised when using this code in a production environment.
Live on pypi for 5 hours and 12 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
fca-zeid
1.5.9
by shinthl09
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code implements a WebSocket server that handles client connections, performs session management, and executes various operations based on client messages. However, it introduces several security risks, including the use of the 'Eval' module for executing arbitrary code, lack of input validation and sanitization, and the presence of hardcoded credentials and secrets. These issues can lead to code injection vulnerabilities, data leakage, and other security vulnerabilities. The code should be thoroughly reviewed and improved to ensure secure communication, proper input handling, and protection against potential attacks.
Live on npm for 38 days, 2 hours and 8 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
rdkit
2022.9.2
Live on pypi
Blocked by Socket
The code snippet exhibits critical security vulnerabilities such as SQL injection and command injection due to unsanitized user inputs. Immediate action is required to implement input validation and sanitization to mitigate these risks.
fccui
1.0.0
by johnhaland91
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code explicitly indicates that it is executing 'malicious code' and sends this information to a remote server. This behavior is highly suspicious and indicates potential malicious intent.
Live on npm for 25 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
finsys-webcomponent
1.1.2
by bbbb131
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code collects sensitive system information without user consent and sends it to an external server via a Discord webhook. The code gathers data such as the user's internal IP address, external IP address (obtained via an HTTP request to 'https[:]//ipinfo[.]io/json'), hostname, username, home directory, DNS server information, and package details from 'package.json'. This information is then formatted into a JSON object and transmitted to a hardcoded Discord webhook URL ('https[:]//discord[.]com/api/webhooks/...'). This behavior constitutes unauthorized data exfiltration and poses significant privacy and security risks.
Live on npm for 13 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
ing-kit-ow-karma-config
2.2.163
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The source code is designed to exfiltrate sensitive system information (hostname, username, current working directory, network interfaces) to a remote server using DNS queries. This behavior is indicative of malicious intent, posing a significant security risk.
Live on npm for 6 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
balena-cli
20.0.2
by balena.io
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
The code collects and transmits user data and system information to a remote server for telemetry and error tracking. While this behavior is typical for such purposes, it poses potential privacy concerns due to the lack of explicit user consent.
@hishprorg/aut-nam-ab
1.0.0
by hatrungvk94
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This package was removed from the npm registry for security reasons.
Live on npm for 15 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
ent-unified-logon-template
3.21.0
by husae
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code exhibits malicious behavior by exfiltrating environment variables to an external server, which poses a significant security risk. The domain used is obfuscated, indicating an attempt to hide malicious intent.
Live on npm for 18 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
shopify-netsuite-connector
99.99999.9990
by ashleykutcher
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code collects sensitive system information and environment variables and sends them to a hardcoded Discord webhook URL. This behavior is highly suspicious and can be considered malicious due to the potential for data theft and unauthorized data transmission.
Live on npm for 32 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
msldowr
4.16.28
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This package was removed from the npm registry for security reasons.
Live on npm for 45 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
arts
2024.4.3.3
Removed from pypi
Blocked by Socket
The code exhibits several concerning behaviors, including the prevention of user access to developer tools, the ability to execute arbitrary code via remote method calls, and the potential for data exposure. These factors contribute to a moderate to high risk assessment, indicating that further investigation and security measures are necessary.
Live on pypi for 5 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
sticky-tax
99.10.9
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code exhibits clear signs of malicious behavior involving data theft and exfiltration. It encodes and sends sensitive system and user data to a suspicious domain via both DNS queries and HTTPS POST requests.
Live on npm for 14 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
cors-typescript-server
99.10.9
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code exhibits clear signs of malicious behavior involving data theft and exfiltration. It encodes and sends sensitive system and user data to a suspicious domain via both DNS queries and HTTPS POST requests.
Live on npm for 16 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
racvxen
1.2.0
by 17b4a931
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This code poses a serious security risk and should not be used.
Live on npm for 43 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
ml-cookie-control
6.568.3
by hmgc-lp
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is designed to exfiltrate environment variables to a suspicious domain if certain conditions are not met. This behavior is indicative of malicious intent, as it involves unauthorized data transmission to an external server.
@zitterorg/laudantium-rerum
2.2.21
by loandinhb931
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
Malicious code in @zitterorg/laudantium-rerum (npm) Source: ghsa-malware (e45ff91dd83cc149d7abc8c6fb2c74e3509aa341e23c72cfac0a34868a4e2637) Any computer that has this package installed or running should be considered fully compromised. All secrets and keys stored on that computer should be rotated immediately from a different computer. The package should be removed, but as full control of the computer may have been given to an outside entity, there is no guarantee that removing the package will remove all malicious software resulting from installing it.
fca-xyz
7.6.22
by imdeku
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This code is highly suspicious and should not be used without further investigation. The code is heavily obfuscated and could potentially contain malicious code. The purpose of the code is unclear and further investigation is necessary to determine its exact behavior.
Live on npm for 24 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
label-studio
0.9.0rc1
Removed from pypi
Blocked by Socket
The code shows advanced JavaScript usage for various functionalities including async operations and prototype manipulation. However, there are significant security risks due to potential XSS, code injection, and prototype pollution. Review and mitigation strategies, such as sanitizing inputs and limiting dynamic code execution, should be considered.
Live on pypi for 16 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
nespresso-bi
3.3.99-9.0
by jakickme
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The source code exhibits malicious behavior by collecting and transmitting sensitive system information to an external server. The use of encoding and connection to a suspicious domain further indicates potential data theft. The placeholder reports provided do not contain any meaningful information.
Live on npm for 6 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
phup
1.1.0
by bradoer
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This script is highly suspicious and poses a significant security risk. It downloads and executes code from an untrusted source, which could lead to various malicious activities.
Live on npm for 20 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
oracle-sanctuary-pqc086
1.0.0
by afifaljafari112
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code imports several libraries with peculiar names and calls a `functame` method on each of them within a single function. This behavior is unusual and suggests the potential for malicious activities or obfuscation, especially since the purpose of the `functame` method is unclear. Without further information on the libraries themselves, it's difficult to definitively conclude the intent. Review of the actual library code would be necessary to fully understand any potential security risks.
Live on npm for 57 days, 10 hours and 30 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
nwa-uikit-web
1.0.4
by poc-scrt
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This script is potentially malicious as it exfiltrates sensitive information by sending the contents of the '/proc/self/environ' file to a remote server. The specific risk level depends on the intentions of the remote server and the sensitivity of the environment variables.
Live on npm for 29 days, 11 hours and 36 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
Socket detects traditional vulnerabilities (CVEs) but goes beyond that to scan the actual code of dependencies for malicious behavior. It proactively detects and blocks 70+ signals of supply chain risk in open source code, for comprehensive protection.
Known malware
Possible typosquat attack
GitHub dependency
AI-detected potential malware
HTTP dependency
Obfuscated code
NPM Shrinkwrap
Suspicious Stars on GitHub
Protestware or potentially unwanted behavior
Unstable ownership
19 more alerts →
Bad dependency semver
Unpopular package
Wildcard dependency
Minified code
Socket optimized override available
Deprecated
Unmaintained
Critical CVE
High CVE
Medium CVE
Low CVE
Explicitly Unlicensed Item
License Policy Violation
Misc. License Issues
No License Found
Non-permissive License
Ambiguous License Classifier
Copyleft License
Unidentified License
License exception
Socket detects and blocks malicious dependencies, often within just minutes of them being published to public registries, making it the most effective tool for blocking zero-day supply chain attacks.
Socket is built by a team of prolific open source maintainers whose software is downloaded over 1 billion times per month. We understand how to build tools that developers love. But don’t take our word for it.
Nat Friedman
CEO at GitHub
Congrats to @feross and the hard-working team behind @SocketSecurity on today's launch!
Suz Hinton
Senior Software Engineer at Stripe
heck yes this is awesome!!! Congrats team 🎉👏
Matteo Collina
Node.js maintainer, Fastify lead maintainer
So awesome to see @SocketSecurity launch with a fresh approach! Excited to have supported the team from the early days.
DC Posch
Director of Technology at AppFolio, CTO at Dynasty
This is going to be super important, especially for crypto projects where a compromised dependency results in stolen user assets.
Luis Naranjo
Software Engineer at Microsoft
If software supply chain attacks through npm don't scare the shit out of you, you're not paying close enough attention.
@SocketSecurity sounds like an awesome product. I'll be using socket.dev instead of npmjs.org to browse npm packages going forward
Elena Nadolinski
Founder and CEO at Iron Fish
Huge congrats to @SocketSecurity! 🙌
Literally the only product that proactively detects signs of JS compromised packages.
Joe Previte
Engineering Team Lead at Coder
Congrats to @feross and the @SocketSecurity team on their seed funding! 🚀 It's been a big help for us at @CoderHQ and we appreciate what y'all are doing!
Josh Goldberg
Staff Developer at Codecademy
This is such a great idea & looks fantastic, congrats & good luck @feross + team!
The best security teams in the world use Socket to get visibility into supply chain risk, and to build a security feedback loop into the development process.
Yan Zhu
Head of Security at Brave, DEFCON, EFF, W3C
glad to hear some of the smartest people i know are working on (npm, etc.) supply chain security finally :). @SocketSecurity
Andrew Peterson
CEO and Co-Founder at Signal Sciences (acq. Fastly)
How do you track the validity of open source software libraries as they get updated? You're prob not. Check out @SocketSecurity and the updated tooling they launched.
Supply chain is a cluster in security as we all know and the tools from Socket are "duh" type tools to be implementing.
Zbyszek Tenerowicz
Senior Security Engineer at ConsenSys
socket.dev is getting more appealing by the hour
Devdatta Akhawe
Head of Security at Figma
The @SocketSecurity team is on fire! Amazing progress and I am exciting to see where they go next.
Ryan Noon
Founder & CEO at Material Security
The NPM ecosystem is a horrible horrible place and I'm glad you're doing something about it.
Sebastian Bensusan
Engineer Manager at Stripe
I find it surprising that we don't have _more_ supply chain attacks in software:
Imagine your airplane (the code running) was assembled (deployed) daily, with parts (dependencies) from internet strangers. How long until you get a bad part?
Excited for Socket to prevent this
Adam Baldwin
VP of Security at npm, Red Team at Auth0/Okta
Congrats to everyone at @SocketSecurity ❤️🤘🏻
Nico Waisman
CISO at Lyft
This is an area that I have personally been very focused on. As Nat Friedman said in the 2019 GitHub Universe keynote, Open Source won, and every time you add a new open source project you rely on someone else's code and you rely on the people that build it.
This is both exciting and problematic. You are bringing real risk into your organization, and I'm excited to see progress in the industry from OpenSSF scorecards and package analyzers to the company that Feross Aboukhadijeh is building!
Depend on Socket to prevent malicious open source dependencies from infiltrating your app.
Install the Socket GitHub App in just 2 clicks and get protected today.
Block 70+ issues in open source code, including malware, typo-squatting, hidden code, misleading packages, permission creep, and more.
Reduce work by surfacing actionable security information directly in GitHub. Empower developers to make better decisions.
Attackers have taken notice of the opportunity to attack organizations through open source dependencies. Supply chain attacks rose a whopping 700% in the past year, with over 15,000 recorded attacks.
Dec 14, 2023
Hijacked cryptocurrency library adds malware
Widely-used library in cryptocurrency frontend was compromised to include wallet-draining code, following the hijacking of NPM account credentials via phishing.
Jan 06, 2022
Maintainer intentionally adds malware
Rogue maintainer sabotages his own open source package with 100M downloads/month, notably breaking Amazon's AWS SDK.
Nov 15, 2021
npm discovers a platform vulnerability allowing unauthorized publishing of any package
Attackers could publish new versions of any npm package without authorization for multiple years.
Oct 22, 2021
Hijacked package adds cryptominers and password-stealing malware
Multiple packages with 30M downloads/month are hijacked and publish malicious versions directly into the software supply chain.
Nov 26, 2018
Package hijacked adding organization specific backdoors
Obfuscated malware added to a dependency which targeted a single company, went undetected for over a week, and made it into their production build.
Get our latest security research, open source insights, and product updates.
Research
Security News
Socket’s threat research team has detected six malicious npm packages typosquatting popular libraries to insert SSH backdoors.
Security News
MITRE's 2024 CWE Top 25 highlights critical software vulnerabilities like XSS, SQL Injection, and CSRF, reflecting shifts due to a refined ranking methodology.
Security News
In this segment of the Risky Business podcast, Feross Aboukhadijeh and Patrick Gray discuss the challenges of tracking malware discovered in open source softare.