Shai-Hulud 2.0 is a highly aggressive and automated supply-chain malware targeting the npm ecosystem, identified in November 2025. It rapidly compromises hundreds of npm packages within hours, behaving like a worm that harvests credentials and cloud secrets. The malware leverages GitHub Actions as a persistent backdoor and creates public repositories to exfiltrate stolen data. This attack represents a significant escalation in supply-chain attack sophistication, affecting major projects and organizations globally. It results in tens of thousands of attacker-created GitHub repositories, facilitating widespread propagation. The malware automates spreading to new npm accounts, increasing infection speed and scale. It does not require user interaction once initial compromise occurs and exploits trusted software supply chains. No CVE or patch is currently available, and no known exploits in the wild have been reported yet. The attack’s medium severity rating may underestimate its potential impact given its worm-like behavior and credential theft capabilities.
