MalwarePublished 11 Aug 2026Updated 12 Aug 2026

permit2 (npm) · Malicious Code

Affects permit2Source GCVE Database

Malicious package : remove permit2 and rotate any secrets on hosts that installed it.

Data as of 12 Aug 2026, 16:58 UTC

Classification

Malicious package

Published to npm · OSV MAL-2026-13775

What to do

Remove permit2 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
npmpermit2	Affected =1.0.1 =1.0.0	Fixed in–

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Description

The npm package 'permit2' is a malicious package impersonating Uniswap's Permit2 token-approval system. It contains no legitimate functionality but executes a payload during installation that steals sensitive environment variables and credential files from the host. The stolen data is exfiltrated to an attacker-controlled endpoint. Hosts that installed this package should consider all exposed credentials compromised and rotate them immediately.

Impact

Any system that installed the 'permit2' package version 1.0.0 or 1.0.1 is at risk of credential compromise. Sensitive secrets including SSH keys, cloud provider credentials, wallet keystores, and environment secrets may have been exfiltrated to an attacker-controlled server. This can lead to unauthorized access to cloud resources, source code repositories, cryptographic wallets, and other sensitive infrastructure. Immediate credential rotation is required for all exposed secrets.

Defensive guidance

The recommended mitigation is to identify and remove the 'permit2' package versions 1.0.0 and 1.0.1 from all environments. Rotate all credentials and secrets that may have been exposed, including SSH keys, cloud credentials, wallet keystores, and environment variables. Avoid installing unscoped packages that impersonate well-known scoped packages. Use package integrity verification and trusted registries to prevent installation of malicious packages.

Summary

The 'permit2' npm package is a name-squatting malicious package that pretends to be a smart contract development toolkit related to Uniswap's Permit2 system. It contains only a package.json and an index.js payload that runs automatically during both preinstall and postinstall phases of npm installation. The payload collects environment variables matching a broad pattern of secret-related keywords and reads the full contents (up to 4000 bytes each) of numerous credential and key files, including AWS credentials, SSH private keys, Kubernetes config, Docker config, Git credentials, cloud provider credentials (GCP, Solana, NEAR, Sui), Foundry keystores, and local .env files. It also collects system metadata such as hostname, username, current working directory, and platform. The collected data is sent via HTTPS POST to a hardcoded attacker webhook endpoint. The payload delays exfiltration in a detached child process to evade detection and avoids running in sandbox or mirror environments. The package provides no real functionality and is purely designed for credential theft.

References

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What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 12 Aug 2026, 16:58 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews