MAL-2026-14052

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Import Source
https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/main/osv/malicious/npm/require-i18next/MAL-2026-14052.json
JSON Data
https://api.osv.dev/v1/vulns/MAL-2026-14052
Published
2026-08-15T13:43:39Z
Modified
2026-08-15T16:15:12.549441831Z
Summary
Malicious code in require-i18next (npm)
Details

-= Per source details. Do not edit below this line.=-

Source: amazon-inspector (5b5f50249e747ea23b84fdc6baa2202e9d786a872fd7d9a545017dc6fc5ad788)

The package's preinstall.js reads a hex-encoded command string from preinstall.json, decodes it with Buffer.from(hex, 'hex'), and passes the result to child_process.exec during npm install. The decoded payload is a curl command that POSTs the installer's whoami, current working directory, hostname, and the contents of /etc/passwd to https://eousft8gflamm91.m.pipedream.net. The name resembles the legitimate i18next ecosystem but the package's only observed behavior is install-time data exfiltration to an attacker-controlled Pipedream webhook, with the payload obfuscated as hex in a sibling JSON file to evade inspection of the JS.

Source: ossf-package-analysis (6ea984228059ea2f54b4cb42d16a5f3f42f3144902c418be08c5000576de58f1)

The OpenSSF Package Analysis project identified 'require-i18next' @ 20.0.0 (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.

Database specific 
{
    "malicious-packages-origins": [
        {
            "import_time": "2026-08-15T13:43:45.197838589Z",
            "sha256": "6ea984228059ea2f54b4cb42d16a5f3f42f3144902c418be08c5000576de58f1",
            "modified_time": "2026-08-15T13:43:39Z",
            "source": "ossf-package-analysis",
            "versions": [
                "20.0.0"
            ]
        },
        {
            "import_time": "2026-08-15T14:08:47.53065476Z",
            "sha256": "6120fb66e65a0dd5620f99a5777f86a7ca2ca08224e3dce45496a548f2236c96",
            "versions": [
                "21.0.0"
            ],
            "source": "ossf-package-analysis",
            "modified_time": "2026-08-15T13:49:29Z"
        },
        {
            "id": "IN-MAL-2026-017935",
            "import_time": "2026-08-15T16:07:54.722667039Z",
            "sha256": "5b5f50249e747ea23b84fdc6baa2202e9d786a872fd7d9a545017dc6fc5ad788",
            "versions": [
                "21.0.0"
            ],
            "source": "amazon-inspector",
            "modified_time": "2026-08-15T15:44:01Z"
        },
        {
            "id": "IN-MAL-2026-017934",
            "import_time": "2026-08-15T16:07:54.660661196Z",
            "sha256": "e4efe52810a54d3c81c562901f32694f44ad9f14e2783140499358ab014969e1",
            "modified_time": "2026-08-15T15:43:53Z",
            "source": "amazon-inspector",
            "versions": [
                "20.0.0"
            ]
        }
    ]
}
References
Credits

Affected packages

npm / require-i18next

Package

Name
require-i18next
View open source insights on deps.dev
Purl
pkg:npm/require-i18next

Affected ranges

Affected versions

20.*
20.0.0
21.*
21.0.0

Database specific

cwes 
[
    {
        "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",
        "cweId": "CWE-506"
    }
]
indicators 
{
    "evidence_files": [
        {
            "path": "preinstall.js",
            "tlsh": "edf07d052dfa1237403b20a54a47580b318ad901313edda2bbee5b516fc5c64cca36c9",
            "sha256": "913112caf871d2cd2a23e6becb67ec28401cc294e424d6bf22985c4e1f404bc2"
        },
        {
            "path": "preinstall.json",
            "tlsh": "51d05ef842c1d1c3e228419e27ae39052e52636698910e51d119bd806c68501be7c0b8",
            "sha256": "cde092f68c713fa5284d9a8d7a47648459e3c25556310b61d1f0434512eb3f56"
        }
    ],
    "package_integrity": [
        {
            "filename": "require-i18next-21.0.0.tgz",
            "hashes": {
                "sha1": "ee6b796be8c1ec6e1f79e777978784a3842199f9",
                "sha512_sri": "sha512-5SvyEJjxcasekOsHFDBFJHDeyvf5fjuqMN37om9CLWScZbn9hsSX9KZKK0o8yDAR2XnivYksjQDQfh4RI8Uxjw=="
            }
        }
    ]
}
source 
"https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/main/osv/malicious/npm/require-i18next/MAL-2026-14052.json"