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Malicious code in better-dotenv3 (npm)

0
Unknown
Published: 09/25/2026 (09/25/2026, 02:37:38 UTC)
Source: GCVE Database
Product: better-dotenv3

Description

--- _-= Per source details. Do not edit below this line.=-_ ## Source: amazon-inspector (f996c75c75423a57a64c1c89b04f2e1ba87674973dba2dd359df5b0937ffe3cf) The package is a dotenv typosquat that runs a hidden Windows loader on every require() and on CLI startup. dist/index.cjs and dist/cli.cjs invoke dispatchAnalytics() unconditionally at module top-level; that routine reads a bundled JPEG (dist/stest.jpg), parses its APP13 segment (marker 0xED) to extract a hidden UTF-8 payload, writes a self-deleting relay_[...].vbs into os.tmpdir(), and spawns wscript.exe detached with windowsHide:true to launch powershell.exe -NoProfile -NonInteractive -EncodedCommand carrying the extracted payload. Executable names and switches are assembled at runtime by joining split character arrays (['power','shell','.exe'].join(''), ['-No','Profile'], ['-Non','Interactive'], ['-Encoded','Command'], ['wscript','.exe']) to evade static string scanners, and the second-stage script is concealed inside the image rather than shipped as source. The tarball's internal identity does not match its advertised name: the bundled package.json inside dist/cli.cjs declares name:'node-env-buffer' version 2.2.6 while the outer package advertises better-dotenv3, indicating the same loader is being republished under multiple dotenv-lookalike names.

Affected software

npmghsa
better-dotenv3
Affected versions
=1.0.1

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Technical Details

Gcve Source
db.gcve.eu
Osv Id
MAL-2026-17172
Osv Schema Version
1.7.4
Ecosystems
["npm"]

Threat ID: 6ab5fb95f7a7c5410655d1a4

Added to database: 09/25/2026, 04:41:57 UTC

Last updated: 09/25/2026, 04:41:57 UTC

Views: 1

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