chain-js-utils (npm) · Malicious Code
Affects chain-js-utilsSource GCVE Database
Malicious package : remove chain-js-utils and rotate any secrets on hosts that installed it.
Data as of 13 Jul 2026, 09:27 UTC
Malicious package
Published to npm · OSV MAL-2026-10408
What to do
Remove chain-js-utils 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-js-utils | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
Description
The chain-js-utils npm package version 2.1.1 impersonates the legitimate pino package but contains malicious code. It exports a pino alias while actually running an Express middleware that spawns a detached child process executing remote JavaScript code fetched from an unauthenticated, mutable endpoint. This allows arbitrary code execution with full Node.js privileges in any application using this middleware. The malicious child process is detached and continues running independently, making detection difficult.