MalwarePublished 9 Jul 2026Updated 1 Sep 2026

chain-chai-await (npm) · Malicious Code

Affects chain-chai-awaitSource GCVE Database

Malicious package : remove chain-chai-await and rotate any secrets on hosts that installed it.

Data as of 12 Sep 2026, 19:31 UTC

Classification

Malicious package

Published to npm · OSV MAL-2026-10056

What to do

Remove chain-chai-await from every project, lockfile and image that pulls it in. Treat any host that installed it as compromised: rotate the credentials, tokens and keys it could read, from a clean machine.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
npmchain-chai-await	Affected =1.3.6 =1.3.7 =1.3.5	Fixed in–

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Description

The npm package 'chain-chai-await' versions 1.3.5, 1.3.6, and 1.3.7 is a malicious dropper disguised as a pino-compatible logger. It executes arbitrary remote code by fetching JavaScript code from a public paste-like service and running it with full access to Node's require function. This allows complete compromise of the consumer's Node.js process.

Impact

Consumers of the affected 'chain-chai-await' package versions are subject to arbitrary remote code execution within their Node.js environment. This can lead to full compromise of the application and potentially the host system, as the malicious code runs with the privileges of the Node process and has unrestricted access to require modules.

Defensive guidance

Users should immediately remove and replace the 'chain-chai-await' package from their dependencies. Avoid using this package entirely and verify the authenticity of logging libraries. Monitor for any unexpected network requests to jsonkeeper.com or similar endpoints from Node.js processes.

Summary

The 'chain-chai-await' package mimics the legitimate pino logger's file structure and API but is unrelated to the real pino package. When used, it spawns a detached Node subprocess that fetches JavaScript code from https://jsonkeeper.com/b/K80JD and executes it via a new Function constructor, enabling arbitrary remote code execution with full require access. It retries the fetch up to five times and uses a base64-encoded backup URL and secret header key/value to support this behavior. This design indicates a deliberate dropper mechanism hidden behind a logging library facade.

References

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What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 12 Sep 2026, 19:31 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews