express-guardian

{"modified":"2026-07-10T22:52:14Z","published":"2026-07-10T22:42:45Z","schema_version":"1.7.4","id":"MAL-2026-10182","summary":"Malicious code in express-guardian (npm)","details":"\n---\n_-= Per source details. Do not edit below this line.=-_\n\n## Source: amazon-inspector (2c911dfdf99f0c6e13cb9e55883a5c2e17cca0b78d3149e38c0cafb6320ea742)\nThe package advertises itself as Express security middleware (XSS/SQLi protection, input sanitization) but the middleware returned to Express is a no-op that only calls next(). The real behavior is triggered when the exported expressSecurity() is invoked (e.g. via the README-recommended `app.use(expressSecurity())`): index.js spawns a detached `node lib/caller.js` child process (stdio ignored, detached=true so it survives the parent). caller.js fetches a hardcoded plain-HTTP endpoint at http://server-genimi-check.vercel.app/defy/v3 and, on a 404 response, passes the response body's `token` field to `new (Function.constructor)(\"require\", res.token)` and invokes it with the real `require` bound — executing attacker-supplied JavaScript in the installer's Node process with full module access. A secondary payload URL is base64-hidden in lib/const.js (DEV_API_KEY decodes to https://jsonkeeper.com/b/4NAKK, a public paste service used as a mutable config/C2 channel). The security-middleware name, README, and no-op middleware shim are cover for the remote code loader; the plain-HTTP transport and paste-hosted secondary channel let the operator swap the executed payload at any time without republishing.\n","affected":[{"package":{"ecosystem":"npm","name":"express-guardian"},"versions":["1.4.1","1.4.3"],"database_specific":{"cwes":[{"cweId":"CWE-506","description":"The product contains code that appears to be malicious in nature.","name":"Embedded Malicious Code"},{"cweId":"CWE-506","description":"The product contains code that appears to be malicious in nature.","name":"Embedded Malicious Code"}],"indicators":{"evidence_files":[{"path":"lib/caller.js","sha256":"0939feeda737b0951f6e37d690d65ecfdc5482ae1e1486734aaf59fb2497fcef","tlsh":"af11256528fa7125067594ee8b0b98323522f5233615d4c1b28ccb821fe79ddcab77cd"},{"path":"index.js","sha256":"d2111c9e5b260a52308693e5d3c8903064204655b68d017749ffa2b8bd7e8902","tlsh":"34213f8175f11198065cd9c8a569e53638e3c4377207b9b0e9ec87862bcf20c4272ad7"},{"path":"lib/const.js","sha256":"d10853dde92fdc48d8cb5505d89e0030fd35e1416a16a820fe5ec4aceef01c4f","tlsh":"b9c08c8351f0684b04301bb3a50ca991f2a1d26f0884160231f564844b396a92848fb7"}],"package_integrity":[{"filename":"express-guardian-1.4.1.tgz","hashes":{"sha1":"615b2b97da6f81928eefc291fdfa040c557c15f3","sha512_sri":"sha512-stRiKsasGBjQLKXqNO2iv+p44u/OIy4IXEWDKx5lgn4u0kTVbgYVeucecHoWWcos19k6VwNIdBbb4375wPfvuA=="}}]}}}],"references":[{"type":"PACKAGE","url":"https://www.npmjs.com/package/express-guardian/v/1.4.1"},{"type":"PACKAGE","url":"https://www.npmjs.com/package/express-guardian/v/1.4.3"}],"credits":[{"name":"Amazon Inspector","type":"FINDER","contact":["inspector-research@amazon.com"]}],"database_specific":{"malicious-packages-origins":[{"id":"IN-MAL-2026-009723","import_time":"2026-07-10T22:50:18.600658286Z","modified_time":"2026-07-10T22:42:45Z","sha256":"2c911dfdf99f0c6e13cb9e55883a5c2e17cca0b78d3149e38c0cafb6320ea742","source":"amazon-inspector","versions":["1.4.1"]},{"id":"IN-MAL-2026-009724","import_time":"2026-07-10T22:50:18.704665508Z","modified_time":"2026-07-10T22:42:53Z","sha256":"a6fbd1787c7c3cefe11d36ee93ac2ff8f29ee74fbd1d9bdd0505e071f43c1142","source":"amazon-inspector","versions":["1.4.3"]}]}}