express-self-destruct

{"modified":"2026-07-27T09:45:40Z","published":"2026-06-11T02:50:48Z","schema_version":"1.7.4","id":"MAL-2026-5553","aliases":["GHSA-wqrx-jfhq-5hx7"],"summary":"Malicious code in express-self-destruct (npm)","details":"\n---\n_-= Per source details. Do not edit below this line.=-_\n\n## Source: amazon-inspector (d0097503a7ecd7b5e3b97213de29b36d5e957a305f7829cc45f43aa5aa3da817)\nOn `npm install`, the package's `postinstall` hook (`node scripts/inject.js`) walks up from the install directory to locate the consumer's project root and identifies their Express entry file (the project's `package.json` `main`, or fallbacks like `index.js` / `app.js` / `server.js`). It then appends a hidden code block to that source file that registers an undocumented `GET /robots.txt` handler on the consumer's Express app. When the handler is reached with the query string `?verify=destroy`, it executes `pkill -f node...` / `taskkill /IM node.exe /F` / `npx pm2 delete all` to terminate Node processes and runs `fs.rm(<projectDir>/src, { recursive: true, force: true })` to recursively delete the project's source tree. The same destructive primitive is also exposed via the package's public API: `index.js` exports `armSelfDestruct(app, options)`, which registers the same remote process-kill + filesystem-wipe endpoint at runtime. Two install-time-destructive properties are present concurrently: (a) install-time mutation of the consumer's own source files to plant a permanent backdoor that survives uninstalling the package, and (b) a remote, unauthenticated kill switch reachable over HTTP once the modified server is running. The package additionally pulls in two same-author scoped runtime dependencies (`@my_name_is_khn/express-security-tool`, `@my_name_is_khn/express-security-tool-v1`) which are auto-installed transitively.\n\n## Source: ghsa-malware (81107d0fbf3a18906bab53d51d8a25346f971d565350003147bf98f40378d9a4)\nAny 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.\n","affected":[{"package":{"ecosystem":"npm","name":"express-self-destruct"},"ranges":[{"type":"SEMVER","events":[{"introduced":"0"}]}],"versions":["1.0.0"],"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":"scripts/inject.js","sha256":"b1970350a7bc69bef9cf4061fd46571d344e2c11dde87f0e69ea28e983340eae","tlsh":"c7513254c67a4231eef277fd622a0416ba5bd831365151e0b2dc817d3f9247148e2efe"},{"path":"package.json","sha256":"b4a167a57e5f595fb09ec2bdab95c4ffc631d8c462e2c870145279a1239a06cc","tlsh":"9ef059359818dc3311f5b6a76874410ab0220f1b00a5dc0e77ba00ec87623970c5ebe8"},{"path":"index.js","sha256":"e3a1fffbf951e26f15b9839232eba4342d091b529461620e3591315892572231","tlsh":"da31fe42223ea172d9f177b6f9171853b97bc627206692e0329ca2651fb1015c82bdec"}],"package_integrity":[{"filename":"express-self-destruct-1.0.0.tgz","hashes":{"sha1":"2d95ac841d657450bebbf049b8bfb78ebc170293","sha512_sri":"sha512-pjiO3RNNseiPcpXzhETBa0fgZrmU2fOD21RfKr0L5rN4r4ZpftJCADVp5bznJ6EUckS01A2gSUEMgUxp3omZUQ=="}}]}}}],"references":[{"type":"PACKAGE","url":"https://www.npmjs.com/package/express-self-destruct/v/1.0.0"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-wqrx-jfhq-5hx7"}],"credits":[{"name":"Amazon Inspector","type":"FINDER","contact":["inspector-research@amazon.com"]}],"database_specific":{"malicious-packages-origins":[{"source":"amazon-inspector","sha256":"d0097503a7ecd7b5e3b97213de29b36d5e957a305f7829cc45f43aa5aa3da817","import_time":"2026-06-11T03:48:45.022490833Z","id":"IN-MAL-2026-005388","modified_time":"2026-06-11T02:50:48Z","versions":["1.0.0"]},{"source":"ghsa-malware","sha256":"81107d0fbf3a18906bab53d51d8a25346f971d565350003147bf98f40378d9a4","import_time":"2026-07-27T09:43:03.861228849Z","id":"GHSA-wqrx-jfhq-5hx7","modified_time":"2026-07-27T00:55:56Z","ranges":[{"type":"SEMVER","events":[{"introduced":"0"}]}]}]}}