
Security News
Astral Launches pyx: A Python-Native Package Registry
Astral unveils pyx, a Python-native package registry in beta, designed to speed installs, enhance security, and integrate deeply with uv.
Quickly evaluate the security and health of any open source package.
optimiecssassetswebpackplugin
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 28 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
mov-cli
0.2.4
Removed from PyPI
Blocked by Socket
The code has several red flags including hardcoded secrets, dynamic data fetching, and use of decryption with a hardcoded URL for the key. While not outright malicious, these elements pose significant security risks that could potentially be exploited for malicious purposes.
Live on PyPI for 6 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
pwn
0.4.385
by 0day Inc.
Live on Rubygems
Blocked by Socket
The script 'packer/provisioners/post_install.sh' exhibits malicious behavior by performing several harmful actions: - **Deletes user and root history files**: Uses secure deletion methods to remove history files, potentially to conceal malicious activities. - **Clears system log files**: Erases log files from '/var/log', hindering the ability to audit and investigate system actions. - **Disables the root account**: Locks the root account password without ensuring alternative secure administrative access, possibly preventing legitimate administrative operations. - **Sets a weak default password ('changeme') for the 'admin' user**: Introduces a significant security risk by using an easily guessable password, facilitating unauthorized access. These actions can be exploited by an attacker to gain unauthorized access, disrupt legitimate operations, and prevent system recovery. The combination of log and history deletion, disabling of root access, and setting weak credentials indicates malicious intent to compromise system security and conceal nefarious activities.
autobuyingslave
1.1.1
by fromxcenter
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is likely intended for automating control over user accounts on a social platform, using misleading terms and methods, with hardcoded credentials and minimal error handling, posing serious ethical and security risks.
Live on npm for 3 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
wixdevpoc
1.0.5
by tomi15
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This script is designed to extract sensitive access tokens from a Google Cloud instance and send them to an external server, posing a significant security risk.
Live on npm for 13 days, 22 hours and 41 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
fca-horizon-remake
4.5.1
by horizonlucius
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is highly obfuscated and contains suspicious patterns, making it hard to determine its exact purpose. Due to the obfuscation and potential for malicious intent, it poses a significant security risk.
Live on npm for 1 hour and 39 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
http2wrap
2.2.1
by u8aux47wbdppq
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
The code poses a significant security risk due to its obfuscation and behavior of downloading and executing files based on data fetched from a smart contract. This could potentially lead to executing malicious code on the user's system.
test-guro
1.0.4
by practiccollie_npm
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This script is attempting to exfiltrate sensitive system information (current user, current path, and hostname) to a remote server. This behavior is highly suspicious and poses a significant security risk.
Live on npm for 31 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
relap-ui
6.9847.0
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The script is designed to exfiltrate sensitive system information to an external server. This behavior is indicative of malicious intent, as it involves unauthorized data transmission. The use of base64 encoding is a form of obfuscation, though not highly sophisticated.
Live on npm for 1 hour and 2 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
dd-sdk-reactnative-example
99.9.9
by mega707
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The script collects information like package details, directories, hostnames, DNS servers and user information, and sends it to a remote server.
Live on npm for 136 days, 11 hours and 23 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
airbnb-dev
3.6.0
by jpdtest1
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is designed to collect and transmit system information to external endpoints without user consent, which is indicative of malicious behavior. The hardcoded endpoints and the nature of the data being sent pose a significant security risk.
Live on npm for 16 hours and 30 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
isite
2022.3.6
by absunstar
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
This file contains a malicious function that exfiltrates sensitive email data to an unauthorized external domain. When the sendEmail function is used, it secretly sends a copy of all email contents (including from address, to address, subject, and message body) to http://emails[.]egytag[.]com/api/emails/add via an unencrypted HTTP POST request. This behavior constitutes unauthorized data theft, as the API endpoint is not a legitimate email service provider and the transmission happens without user consent or knowledge. The malicious code is implemented in a straightforward manner without obfuscation, making it a clear case of a data exfiltration backdoor.
hs-promise-rejection-tracking
16.999.999
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code uses the exec function to run shell commands, which poses a significant security risk. It could potentially execute malicious code if the input to exec is manipulated. Redirecting output to /dev/null to hide execution details is suspicious.
Live on npm for 45 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
prod_assets_web_modules
7.965.421
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is confirmed to be malicious, with behaviors including sending system data over the network and connecting to suspicious domains. The obfuscation and data exfiltration techniques used indicate a high risk of data theft and unauthorized access.
Live on npm for 1 hour and 52 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
privdel
1.999.0
by bladerun78w
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is highly suspicious and likely malicious, as it gathers sensitive system information and sends it to an external server without consent.
Live on npm for 15 hours and 39 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
@bair/styles
1.284.999
by pgriffin2021
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
This file contains heavily obfuscated code that gathers system data such as hostname, current working directory, user information, and network interfaces. It encodes this information (e.g., in Base64) and transmits it to a suspicious domain, for example example[.]com, using a dynamically constructed ping command. The obfuscation techniques, unauthorized data collection, and exfiltration attempt clearly indicate malicious intent consistent with malware.
react-npm-encrypt-decrypt
1.0.65
by svaishnavpradeep97
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
The code leaks sensitive AES encryption keys to an external server over the network, which constitutes a severe security risk and likely malicious behavior. This exfiltration of secret keys can lead to compromise of encrypted data and violates fundamental security principles. The code is not obfuscated but is clearly designed to send secret keys externally, indicating a high probability of malicious intent. Users should avoid using this code or dependency due to the high risk of data theft.
turbolinks_jwt_test2
8.4.0
by hackthematrix
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This script runs 'index.js' in the background without any output, which could potentially hide malicious behavior. The actual content of 'index.js' needs to be inspected to determine the full extent of any risks.
Live on npm for 1 hour and 59 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
wallet-switch-chain
1.0.3
by syt4sh1
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This code snippet is likely malicious. It is designed to extract sensitive system and process data and send them over the network to a certain target URL. It also has the potential to execute shell commands. These behaviors suggest a potential backdoor or information stealing malware.
Live on npm for 8 days, 11 hours and 18 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
azure-cosmos
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 5 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
@khaledtag/karrot_ui
0.0.48
by khaledtag
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
The package contains a hidden payload that targets Russian language users visiting Russian and Belarusian sites. For those users, it will disable user interaction and play a looping audio of the Ukrainian anthem after 3 days. Therefore, it is marked as malware only because it freezes interactions for many users. This behavior is not disclosed in any documentation of the package and seriously disrupts user experience.
allianz-icons
8.999.5
by maxzkcj
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is malicious as it collects and sends sensitive system information to an external server, indicating data exfiltration. This poses a significant security risk.
Live on npm for 22 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
mrg-message-broker
2.796.440
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is malicious as it sends environment variables to an external server without user consent. It is heavily obfuscated, which is a common tactic to hide malicious behavior.
Live on npm for 9 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
pzh
9.9.10
by edwinsiebel
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is designed to collect sensitive system and user information and send it to an external server. This behavior is consistent with data exfiltration and poses a significant security risk.
Live on npm for 1 hour and 9 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
pwn
0.5.11
by 0day Inc.
Live on Rubygems
Blocked by Socket
The script poses a high security risk as malware due to its ability to alter disk partitions without user interaction, leading to data loss or system damage.
optimiecssassetswebpackplugin
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 28 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
mov-cli
0.2.4
Removed from PyPI
Blocked by Socket
The code has several red flags including hardcoded secrets, dynamic data fetching, and use of decryption with a hardcoded URL for the key. While not outright malicious, these elements pose significant security risks that could potentially be exploited for malicious purposes.
Live on PyPI for 6 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
pwn
0.4.385
by 0day Inc.
Live on Rubygems
Blocked by Socket
The script 'packer/provisioners/post_install.sh' exhibits malicious behavior by performing several harmful actions: - **Deletes user and root history files**: Uses secure deletion methods to remove history files, potentially to conceal malicious activities. - **Clears system log files**: Erases log files from '/var/log', hindering the ability to audit and investigate system actions. - **Disables the root account**: Locks the root account password without ensuring alternative secure administrative access, possibly preventing legitimate administrative operations. - **Sets a weak default password ('changeme') for the 'admin' user**: Introduces a significant security risk by using an easily guessable password, facilitating unauthorized access. These actions can be exploited by an attacker to gain unauthorized access, disrupt legitimate operations, and prevent system recovery. The combination of log and history deletion, disabling of root access, and setting weak credentials indicates malicious intent to compromise system security and conceal nefarious activities.
autobuyingslave
1.1.1
by fromxcenter
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is likely intended for automating control over user accounts on a social platform, using misleading terms and methods, with hardcoded credentials and minimal error handling, posing serious ethical and security risks.
Live on npm for 3 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
wixdevpoc
1.0.5
by tomi15
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This script is designed to extract sensitive access tokens from a Google Cloud instance and send them to an external server, posing a significant security risk.
Live on npm for 13 days, 22 hours and 41 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
fca-horizon-remake
4.5.1
by horizonlucius
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is highly obfuscated and contains suspicious patterns, making it hard to determine its exact purpose. Due to the obfuscation and potential for malicious intent, it poses a significant security risk.
Live on npm for 1 hour and 39 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
http2wrap
2.2.1
by u8aux47wbdppq
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
The code poses a significant security risk due to its obfuscation and behavior of downloading and executing files based on data fetched from a smart contract. This could potentially lead to executing malicious code on the user's system.
test-guro
1.0.4
by practiccollie_npm
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This script is attempting to exfiltrate sensitive system information (current user, current path, and hostname) to a remote server. This behavior is highly suspicious and poses a significant security risk.
Live on npm for 31 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
relap-ui
6.9847.0
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The script is designed to exfiltrate sensitive system information to an external server. This behavior is indicative of malicious intent, as it involves unauthorized data transmission. The use of base64 encoding is a form of obfuscation, though not highly sophisticated.
Live on npm for 1 hour and 2 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
dd-sdk-reactnative-example
99.9.9
by mega707
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The script collects information like package details, directories, hostnames, DNS servers and user information, and sends it to a remote server.
Live on npm for 136 days, 11 hours and 23 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
airbnb-dev
3.6.0
by jpdtest1
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is designed to collect and transmit system information to external endpoints without user consent, which is indicative of malicious behavior. The hardcoded endpoints and the nature of the data being sent pose a significant security risk.
Live on npm for 16 hours and 30 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
isite
2022.3.6
by absunstar
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
This file contains a malicious function that exfiltrates sensitive email data to an unauthorized external domain. When the sendEmail function is used, it secretly sends a copy of all email contents (including from address, to address, subject, and message body) to http://emails[.]egytag[.]com/api/emails/add via an unencrypted HTTP POST request. This behavior constitutes unauthorized data theft, as the API endpoint is not a legitimate email service provider and the transmission happens without user consent or knowledge. The malicious code is implemented in a straightforward manner without obfuscation, making it a clear case of a data exfiltration backdoor.
hs-promise-rejection-tracking
16.999.999
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code uses the exec function to run shell commands, which poses a significant security risk. It could potentially execute malicious code if the input to exec is manipulated. Redirecting output to /dev/null to hide execution details is suspicious.
Live on npm for 45 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
prod_assets_web_modules
7.965.421
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is confirmed to be malicious, with behaviors including sending system data over the network and connecting to suspicious domains. The obfuscation and data exfiltration techniques used indicate a high risk of data theft and unauthorized access.
Live on npm for 1 hour and 52 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
privdel
1.999.0
by bladerun78w
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is highly suspicious and likely malicious, as it gathers sensitive system information and sends it to an external server without consent.
Live on npm for 15 hours and 39 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
@bair/styles
1.284.999
by pgriffin2021
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
This file contains heavily obfuscated code that gathers system data such as hostname, current working directory, user information, and network interfaces. It encodes this information (e.g., in Base64) and transmits it to a suspicious domain, for example example[.]com, using a dynamically constructed ping command. The obfuscation techniques, unauthorized data collection, and exfiltration attempt clearly indicate malicious intent consistent with malware.
react-npm-encrypt-decrypt
1.0.65
by svaishnavpradeep97
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
The code leaks sensitive AES encryption keys to an external server over the network, which constitutes a severe security risk and likely malicious behavior. This exfiltration of secret keys can lead to compromise of encrypted data and violates fundamental security principles. The code is not obfuscated but is clearly designed to send secret keys externally, indicating a high probability of malicious intent. Users should avoid using this code or dependency due to the high risk of data theft.
turbolinks_jwt_test2
8.4.0
by hackthematrix
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This script runs 'index.js' in the background without any output, which could potentially hide malicious behavior. The actual content of 'index.js' needs to be inspected to determine the full extent of any risks.
Live on npm for 1 hour and 59 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
wallet-switch-chain
1.0.3
by syt4sh1
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This code snippet is likely malicious. It is designed to extract sensitive system and process data and send them over the network to a certain target URL. It also has the potential to execute shell commands. These behaviors suggest a potential backdoor or information stealing malware.
Live on npm for 8 days, 11 hours and 18 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
azure-cosmos
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 5 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
@khaledtag/karrot_ui
0.0.48
by khaledtag
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
The package contains a hidden payload that targets Russian language users visiting Russian and Belarusian sites. For those users, it will disable user interaction and play a looping audio of the Ukrainian anthem after 3 days. Therefore, it is marked as malware only because it freezes interactions for many users. This behavior is not disclosed in any documentation of the package and seriously disrupts user experience.
allianz-icons
8.999.5
by maxzkcj
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is malicious as it collects and sends sensitive system information to an external server, indicating data exfiltration. This poses a significant security risk.
Live on npm for 22 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
mrg-message-broker
2.796.440
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is malicious as it sends environment variables to an external server without user consent. It is heavily obfuscated, which is a common tactic to hide malicious behavior.
Live on npm for 9 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
pzh
9.9.10
by edwinsiebel
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is designed to collect sensitive system and user information and send it to an external server. This behavior is consistent with data exfiltration and poses a significant security risk.
Live on npm for 1 hour and 9 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
pwn
0.5.11
by 0day Inc.
Live on Rubygems
Blocked by Socket
The script poses a high security risk as malware due to its ability to alter disk partitions without user interaction, leading to data loss or system damage.
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
Chrome Extension Permission
Chrome Extension Wildcard Host Permission
NPM Shrinkwrap
Git dependency
HTTP dependency
Suspicious Stars on GitHub
Protestware or potentially unwanted behavior
Unstable ownership
Critical CVE
High CVE
Medium CVE
Low CVE
Bad dependency semver
Wildcard dependency
Unpopular package
Minified code
Socket optimized override available
Deprecated
Unmaintained
Explicitly Unlicensed Item
License Policy Violation
Misc. License Issues
Non-permissive License
Ambiguous License Classifier
Copyleft License
Unidentified License
No License Found
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
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.
Scott Roberts
CISO at UiPath
As a happy Socket customer, I've been impressed with how quickly they are adding value to the product, this move is a great step!
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. Check them out and follow Feross Aboukhadijeh to see more updates coming from them in the future.
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.
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 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.
Security News
Astral unveils pyx, a Python-native package registry in beta, designed to speed installs, enhance security, and integrate deeply with uv.
Security News
The Latio podcast explores how static and runtime reachability help teams prioritize exploitable vulnerabilities and streamline AppSec workflows.
Security News
The latest Opengrep releases add Apex scanning, precision rule tuning, and performance gains for open source static code analysis.