npm · Malicious package advisory
Malwarepath-internal
MAL-2026-2930
Malicious code in path-internal (npm)
Details
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_-= Per source details. Do not edit below this line.=-_
## Source: amazon-inspector (5393cf6d8cf49c2550e7cc90ff3de58b1e97bdc89183f63beae60b3e46b9d2e0)
The package presents itself as a copy of the Node.js core `path` module (name `path-internal`, README: "exact copy of the NodeJS 'path' module") and ships the upstream Joyent path implementation with a malicious dropper spliced between `posix.basename` and `posix.extname` in `path.js`. On `require('path-internal')`, the module decodes a base64-encoded URL (`https://www.jsonkeeper.com/b/YCW2F`, stored under the misleading variable name `randomStringRe`), fetches the JSON document at that URL, and passes `data.content` straight to `eval()`. A second identical IIFE for `https://www.jsonkeeper.com/b/TPQHE` is present (commented out) under `tokenStringRe`. jsonkeeper.com is an anonymous, mutable paste host: the attacker can change the served payload at any time to execute arbitrary code in-process on every installer that imports the package. The base64 obfuscation, the regex-shaped decoy variable names, the splice into a verbatim copy of a Node stdlib module, and the typosquat name (with the README also confusingly suggesting `npm install --save path-external`) collectively confirm malicious intent rather than negligence.
## Source: ossf-package-analysis (37a46ea303cb680cff00791b29be183770a5eb1edaef69ce37b97327243deeea)
The OpenSSF Package Analysis project identified 'path-internal' @ 1.0.10 (npm) as malicious.
It is considered malicious because:
- The package communicates with a domain associated with malicious activity.
- The package executes one or more commands associated with malicious behavior.
Compromised versions (16)
- 1.0.10
- 1.0.11
- 1.0.12
- 1.0.14
- 1.0.13
- 1.0.15
- 1.0.0
- 1.0.1
- 1.0.2
- 1.0.3
- 1.0.4
- 1.0.5
- 1.0.6
- 1.0.7
- 1.0.8
- 1.0.9
Any computer that installed or ran a compromised version should be considered fully compromised. Rotate every secret on that machine from a clean environment.