npm · Malicious package advisory
Malwareaes-decode-runner-pro
MAL-2026-4475
Malicious code in aes-decode-runner-pro (npm)
Details
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_-= Per source details. Do not edit below this line.=-_
## Source: amazon-inspector (a84e76208311859e852fea114c26e1eff1202eeff9a463707c5ae0deec68725c)
aes-decode-runner-pro ships an opaque 326-byte AES-GCM ciphertext (`DEFAULT_FINAL_ENCODED_TEXT` in src/config/defaults.js) along with a hardcoded passphrase (`default-dev-passphrase`) and salt (`encode-npm-c-salt`). The exported `run()` function (and `runDefaultDecodedFunction()` in src/pipeline/custom-codec-pipeline.js) decrypts this blob and executes the resulting string via `new Function("require", runnable)(require)`, passing in the host's `require` so the decrypted code can load arbitrary Node modules (filesystem, network, child_process). The plaintext is not present in the source tree, so the actual code being run cannot be audited from the package contents. The README presents the package as an AES helper utility, but the package's primary documented entry point (`pkg.run()`) auto-executes hidden author-controlled code. There are no install lifecycle hooks, so `npm install` alone is benign; harm fires when a consumer calls the advertised `run()` API or runs `npm start`/`npm test` against the package. The combination of hardcoded ciphertext + hardcoded key + `new Function` execution sink + misleading cover-story README is the standard hidden-payload-runner shape and not a legitimate use of AES.
## Source: ghsa-malware (b9ec32061e1ed2b44ae7218fe938dd8dcdd3ae36966a0665ef5061d68a232bf1)
Any computer that has this package installed or running should be considered fully compromised. All secrets and keys stored on that computer should be rotated immediately from a different computer. The package should be removed, but as full control of the computer may have been given to an outside entity, there is no guarantee that removing the package will remove all malicious software resulting from installing it.
Compromised versions (10)
- 1.0.3
- 1.0.2
- 1.0.5
- 1.0.1
- 1.0.7
- 1.0.8
- 1.0.6
- 1.0.9
- 1.0.10
- 1.0.11
Any computer that installed or ran a compromised version should be considered fully compromised. Rotate every secret on that machine from a clean environment.