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MalwarePublished Updated

x509-escaping (npm) · Malicious Code

Affects x509-escapingSource GCVE Database

0

Malicious package : remove x509-escaping and rotate any secrets on hosts that installed it.

Data as of 19 Sep 2026, 01:35 UTC

Classification

Malicious package

Published to npm · OSV MAL-2025-889

What to do

Remove x509-escaping 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

ProductAffectedFixed in
npmx509-escapingpkg:npm/x509-escapingOther threatsAffected
  • 0.0.0 – 1.0.1
4 affected builds
Fixed in–

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

Description

The x509-escaping npm package contains malicious code that executes automatically during installation. This code collects sensitive system information including hostname, username, home directory, DNS servers, and reads system files such as /etc/passwd and /etc/hosts. The collected data is then exfiltrated via HTTPS to an attacker-controlled out-of-band domain. The package does not provide legitimate library functionality and appears designed solely for reconnaissance and data theft during dependency installation.

References

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