
Research
/Security News
Toptal’s GitHub Organization Hijacked: 10 Malicious Packages Published
Threat actors hijacked Toptal’s GitHub org, publishing npm packages with malicious payloads that steal tokens and attempt to wipe victim systems.
Quickly evaluate the security and health of any open source package.
poostcss-imort
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 1 hour and 22 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
11j
1.0.6
by vsamaru
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is malicious as it exfiltrates console warnings and errors to external Telegram channels using a hardcoded bot token and chat IDs. This is a serious privacy and security risk. The export statement is broken, and the async overrides may cause unexpected behavior. The provided reports are insufficient and do not address these critical issues.
cms-businesslogic-extensions
9.99.9
by confusion-test3
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is designed to exfiltrate sensitive system information to an external domain using DNS queries, which is a clear indication of malicious intent. The use of encoding and DNS queries suggests an attempt to hide this activity.
Live on npm for 2 days, 13 hours and 50 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
wix-billing-backend
8.999.999
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 3 hours and 3 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
chalkkk
1.0.0
by laveseler
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This script modifies the permissions of certain binaries and executes them with elevated privileges. This behavior poses a significant security risk and could potentially lead to system damage or unauthorized actions.
Live on npm for 1 hour before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
@nexthink/flow-fe
2.0.0
by nxt-fmiquel
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
The code collects sensitive system information (environment variables, hostname, network addresses) and sends it to an external URL. This behavior is highly suspicious and could be indicative of data exfiltration. The use of process.env to store and send this data increases the risk of leaking sensitive environment variables.
idme
6.9.9
by ohislab
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is indeed malicious, performing potentially harmful activities such as gathering system information and sending it to an external server via DNS requests. It poses a serious security risk due to its potential for data exfiltration.
cloudhosting
7.13.0
by bootstrop
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code snippet contains potentially malicious behavior due to the use of an obfuscated and suspicious URL in the AJAX request. The lack of proper response handling raises concerns about data leakage or unauthorized actions performed by the server.
Live on npm for 25 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
aliya-remake
10.0.2
by aliyax0
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
This file executes shell commands to remove directories, alter the environment, and transmits error data to a suspicious remote domain (bank-sv-4[.]0ax3[.]repl[.]co) without user consent. These behaviors indicate malicious intent, including possible data exfiltration and system tampering.
@twork-mw/display-mode
18.99.99
by youghurtrunner
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
This file retrieves and executes remote code from openfintech[.]online/frontend/manifest[.]json, using global.eval for execution. It also performs DNS lookups on 171[.]59[.]in-addr[.]info and manipulates environment-based proxy settings. These behaviors collectively pose a high security risk and strongly suggest malicious intent.
customprefix-auth
99.1.0
by vishal_gouri1
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The analyzed code is malicious. It covertly collects and exfiltrates sensitive system and user information to a suspicious external server without user consent. This represents a severe privacy violation and supply chain security compromise. The code is straightforward and not obfuscated, but the intent and effect are clearly malicious. Immediate removal or blocking of this package is strongly recommended.
Live on npm for 2 hours and 8 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
postinstall-dummy
0.0.21
by timsuchanek
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The script is malicious as it exfiltrates sensitive environment variable data to an external server without user consent, posing a high security risk.
Live on npm for 1 hour and 4 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
github.com/brompwnie/botb
v0.0.0-20211221165503-6d33aaea2fd3
Live on Go
Blocked by Socket
The code includes functions that read Kubernetes service account tokens from specific file paths such as '/var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount/token' and '/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount/token' without authorization and uses them to access the Kubernetes API. It attempts to exploit cgroup privileges for privilege escalation by manipulating cgroup directories and executing arbitrary commands. The code accesses cloud metadata endpoints (e.g., 'http[:]//169[.]254[.]169[.]254') to extract sensitive information. It contains functions to hijack binaries by replacing them with malicious scripts and attempts to exploit a known vulnerability (CVE-2019-5736) in container runtimes to gain unauthorized access or execute commands. Additionally, it searches for sensitive information in environment variables and the '/proc' filesystem, which could lead to data leakage. These actions indicate malicious intent and pose significant security risks.
pixelstreaming-sfu
11.9.9
by 0xwise64
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The script collects information like hostname, platform, user information, and current path, and sends it to a remote server.
Live on npm for 5 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
acgularjs
1.1.2
by nepz
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
This code is malicious. It performs unauthorized data exfiltration of system network interface IP addresses and hostname to an attacker-controlled Discord webhook. This behavior constitutes malware and poses a high security risk. The code is clear and not obfuscated, but the embedded webhook and silent transmission of system information without user consent make it dangerous and privacy-invasive.
nayan-server
2.0.0
by n4y4n
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is heavily obfuscated and uses eval to execute potentially hidden code, which poses a security risk. Without deobfuscation, the intent and functionality remain unclear, but the use of such techniques is often associated with malicious behavior.
Live on npm for 156 days, 8 hours and 27 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
@adminhub-page/emails
18.0.0
by khan1985
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is likely harvesting system and environment information for tracking purposes or potential misuse. It then sends this information to an external server. The presence of the base64 encoded string is suspicious, and could indicate an attempt to hide some behavior. As such, the code poses a high risk to security and should not be used.
feedback-schema
1.999.999
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 1 hour and 2 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
lab-npm-package
3.0.0
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This script captures the environment variables and sends them to a remote server. This behavior can be considered suspicious and potentially malicious, as it could lead to unauthorized access or data exfiltration.
Live on npm for 15 days, 13 hours and 48 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
tronwb
6.0.0
by uwta3isdr12w4
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is heavily obfuscated and performs potentially risky actions such as downloading and executing files without user consent. This behavior poses a significant security risk and aligns with potentially malicious activities.
dropbox-connect
999.9.9
by amigomioteconsidero13
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is designed to exfiltrate system information by sending it to an external domain via DNS queries. This is a clear indication of malicious behavior, as it involves unauthorized data transmission without user consent.
Live on npm for 4 hours and 28 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
convert-to-asyncawait
2.864.0
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This code exhibits malicious behavior by sending environment variables to a remote server under certain conditions. The use of suspicious domains, hardcoded credentials, and the nature of data being sent suggests potential data exfiltration.
Live on npm for 1 hour and 11 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
esm-appdynamics-grafana-react-datasource
0.0.1-security.0
by npm
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
The package was removed due to confirmed malicious activity. The placeholder prevents future installations. Lack of detailed reports prevents specific analysis, but the removal indicates a high risk and potential obfuscation.
engage-voice-embeddable
99.10.10
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code engages in potentially malicious behavior by collecting sensitive system information and sending it to a remote server without clear user consent. The hard-coded domain, data obfuscation, and lack of transparency raise significant privacy and security concerns. The risk score is high due to the invasive nature of the code.
Live on npm for 51 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
usaa-native-bridge
1.1.2
by usaa-test
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The script runs 'index.js' and silences all output, which could be a method to hide malicious actions or errors. The safety of this script depends on the contents of 'index.js'.
Live on npm for 1 day, 7 hours and 24 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
poostcss-imort
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 1 hour and 22 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
11j
1.0.6
by vsamaru
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is malicious as it exfiltrates console warnings and errors to external Telegram channels using a hardcoded bot token and chat IDs. This is a serious privacy and security risk. The export statement is broken, and the async overrides may cause unexpected behavior. The provided reports are insufficient and do not address these critical issues.
cms-businesslogic-extensions
9.99.9
by confusion-test3
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is designed to exfiltrate sensitive system information to an external domain using DNS queries, which is a clear indication of malicious intent. The use of encoding and DNS queries suggests an attempt to hide this activity.
Live on npm for 2 days, 13 hours and 50 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
wix-billing-backend
8.999.999
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 3 hours and 3 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
chalkkk
1.0.0
by laveseler
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This script modifies the permissions of certain binaries and executes them with elevated privileges. This behavior poses a significant security risk and could potentially lead to system damage or unauthorized actions.
Live on npm for 1 hour before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
@nexthink/flow-fe
2.0.0
by nxt-fmiquel
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
The code collects sensitive system information (environment variables, hostname, network addresses) and sends it to an external URL. This behavior is highly suspicious and could be indicative of data exfiltration. The use of process.env to store and send this data increases the risk of leaking sensitive environment variables.
idme
6.9.9
by ohislab
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is indeed malicious, performing potentially harmful activities such as gathering system information and sending it to an external server via DNS requests. It poses a serious security risk due to its potential for data exfiltration.
cloudhosting
7.13.0
by bootstrop
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code snippet contains potentially malicious behavior due to the use of an obfuscated and suspicious URL in the AJAX request. The lack of proper response handling raises concerns about data leakage or unauthorized actions performed by the server.
Live on npm for 25 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
aliya-remake
10.0.2
by aliyax0
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
This file executes shell commands to remove directories, alter the environment, and transmits error data to a suspicious remote domain (bank-sv-4[.]0ax3[.]repl[.]co) without user consent. These behaviors indicate malicious intent, including possible data exfiltration and system tampering.
@twork-mw/display-mode
18.99.99
by youghurtrunner
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
This file retrieves and executes remote code from openfintech[.]online/frontend/manifest[.]json, using global.eval for execution. It also performs DNS lookups on 171[.]59[.]in-addr[.]info and manipulates environment-based proxy settings. These behaviors collectively pose a high security risk and strongly suggest malicious intent.
customprefix-auth
99.1.0
by vishal_gouri1
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The analyzed code is malicious. It covertly collects and exfiltrates sensitive system and user information to a suspicious external server without user consent. This represents a severe privacy violation and supply chain security compromise. The code is straightforward and not obfuscated, but the intent and effect are clearly malicious. Immediate removal or blocking of this package is strongly recommended.
Live on npm for 2 hours and 8 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
postinstall-dummy
0.0.21
by timsuchanek
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The script is malicious as it exfiltrates sensitive environment variable data to an external server without user consent, posing a high security risk.
Live on npm for 1 hour and 4 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
github.com/brompwnie/botb
v0.0.0-20211221165503-6d33aaea2fd3
Live on Go
Blocked by Socket
The code includes functions that read Kubernetes service account tokens from specific file paths such as '/var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount/token' and '/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount/token' without authorization and uses them to access the Kubernetes API. It attempts to exploit cgroup privileges for privilege escalation by manipulating cgroup directories and executing arbitrary commands. The code accesses cloud metadata endpoints (e.g., 'http[:]//169[.]254[.]169[.]254') to extract sensitive information. It contains functions to hijack binaries by replacing them with malicious scripts and attempts to exploit a known vulnerability (CVE-2019-5736) in container runtimes to gain unauthorized access or execute commands. Additionally, it searches for sensitive information in environment variables and the '/proc' filesystem, which could lead to data leakage. These actions indicate malicious intent and pose significant security risks.
pixelstreaming-sfu
11.9.9
by 0xwise64
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The script collects information like hostname, platform, user information, and current path, and sends it to a remote server.
Live on npm for 5 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
acgularjs
1.1.2
by nepz
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
This code is malicious. It performs unauthorized data exfiltration of system network interface IP addresses and hostname to an attacker-controlled Discord webhook. This behavior constitutes malware and poses a high security risk. The code is clear and not obfuscated, but the embedded webhook and silent transmission of system information without user consent make it dangerous and privacy-invasive.
nayan-server
2.0.0
by n4y4n
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is heavily obfuscated and uses eval to execute potentially hidden code, which poses a security risk. Without deobfuscation, the intent and functionality remain unclear, but the use of such techniques is often associated with malicious behavior.
Live on npm for 156 days, 8 hours and 27 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
@adminhub-page/emails
18.0.0
by khan1985
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is likely harvesting system and environment information for tracking purposes or potential misuse. It then sends this information to an external server. The presence of the base64 encoded string is suspicious, and could indicate an attempt to hide some behavior. As such, the code poses a high risk to security and should not be used.
feedback-schema
1.999.999
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 1 hour and 2 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
lab-npm-package
3.0.0
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This script captures the environment variables and sends them to a remote server. This behavior can be considered suspicious and potentially malicious, as it could lead to unauthorized access or data exfiltration.
Live on npm for 15 days, 13 hours and 48 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
tronwb
6.0.0
by uwta3isdr12w4
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is heavily obfuscated and performs potentially risky actions such as downloading and executing files without user consent. This behavior poses a significant security risk and aligns with potentially malicious activities.
dropbox-connect
999.9.9
by amigomioteconsidero13
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code is designed to exfiltrate system information by sending it to an external domain via DNS queries. This is a clear indication of malicious behavior, as it involves unauthorized data transmission without user consent.
Live on npm for 4 hours and 28 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
convert-to-asyncawait
2.864.0
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
This code exhibits malicious behavior by sending environment variables to a remote server under certain conditions. The use of suspicious domains, hardcoded credentials, and the nature of data being sent suggests potential data exfiltration.
Live on npm for 1 hour and 11 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
esm-appdynamics-grafana-react-datasource
0.0.1-security.0
by npm
Live on npm
Blocked by Socket
The package was removed due to confirmed malicious activity. The placeholder prevents future installations. Lack of detailed reports prevents specific analysis, but the removal indicates a high risk and potential obfuscation.
engage-voice-embeddable
99.10.10
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The code engages in potentially malicious behavior by collecting sensitive system information and sending it to a remote server without clear user consent. The hard-coded domain, data obfuscation, and lack of transparency raise significant privacy and security concerns. The risk score is high due to the invasive nature of the code.
Live on npm for 51 minutes before removal. Socket users were protected even while the package was live.
usaa-native-bridge
1.1.2
by usaa-test
Removed from npm
Blocked by Socket
The script runs 'index.js' and silences all output, which could be a method to hide malicious actions or errors. The safety of this script depends on the contents of 'index.js'.
Live on npm for 1 day, 7 hours and 24 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
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.
Research
/Security News
Threat actors hijacked Toptal’s GitHub org, publishing npm packages with malicious payloads that steal tokens and attempt to wipe victim systems.
Research
/Security News
Socket researchers investigate 4 malicious npm and PyPI packages with 56,000+ downloads that install surveillance malware.
Security News
The ongoing npm phishing campaign escalates as attackers hijack the popular 'is' package, embedding malware in multiple versions.