xrp-ledger-utils

Details

**Severity:** Critical

**Affected versions:** `= 0.9.1`

## Source: amazon-inspector (1d8cf595b60954811e6adfd0c4a241c696d326b42baf1ed2e7b163e720db44c4)
The gem's native extension builder ext/extconf.rb decodes a base64-embedded Ruby payload and eval()s it inside a double-forked, detached child after a randomized 20-40 minute sleep. The payload opens a TCP connection to the hardcoded bare-IP C2 at 45.138.12.177:8089, pipes the socket to /bin/sh, and reconnects in a loop, providing an interactive remote shell on the installer's host. Execution is gated by anti-analysis checks that skip CI runners, sandboxed/ephemeral hosts, synthetic usernames, and fresh VMs, and only fires when developer-workstation indicators are present (~/.ssh, ~/.gitconfig, ~/.npmrc, ~/.gem/credentials, ~/.bundle). The shipped library is an inert stub (build_id='ok', healthy?=true), the README is for an unrelated project ('bitcoin-rpc-lite'), and the Makefile target is bitcoin_rpc_lite_native, so the package has no legitimate advertised functionality; the install-time dropper is its sole purpose.

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Credit: [OpenSSF](https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages) ([source](https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/ff41f6680a0ebbef2268cdb5daf253d4b400cb05/osv/malicious/rubygems/xrp-ledger-utils/MAL-2026-17802.json))

**References:**
- https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/ff41f6680a0ebbef2268cdb5daf253d4b400cb05/osv/malicious/rubygems/xrp-ledger-utils/MAL-2026-17802.json
- https://rubygems.org/gems/xrp-ledger-utils/versions/0.9.1
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-p4hf-p5fc-85p7

Compromised versions (1)

• = 0.9.1

Any computer that installed or ran a compromised version should be considered fully compromised. Rotate every secret on that machine from a clean environment.