MAL-2026-17596

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Import Source
https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/main/osv/malicious/rubygems/electrum-protocol-lite/MAL-2026-17596.json
JSON Data
https://api.osv.dev/v1/vulns/MAL-2026-17596
Published
2026-10-05T07:15:38Z
Modified
2026-10-06T01:00:15Z
Summary
Malicious code in electrum-protocol-lite (RubyGems)
Details

RubyGems runs this gem's native extension script ext/electrum-protocol-lite/extconf.rb during gem install. The script exits without action on CI runners and sandboxes, based on CI environment variables, the hostname, the username and the working directory. It continues if the system uptime is over 30 minutes and the home directory holds .ssh, .gitconfig, .npmrc, .gem/credentials or .bundle. It then decodes a Base64 Ruby payload and forks twice into a detached process. After 20 to 40 minutes the payload downloads http://45.138.12.177:8092/wgkit.tar.gz to /tmp/.w1.tgz with curl, extracts it to /tmp/.w1/, runs wg_install.sh with bash and deletes both. The payload stores the URL XOR-encoded with the key usv\x9a. The Ruby code in lib/ is a decoy. The RubyGems account reqthrottle_3474 published this gem and 41 others with the same loader on 2026-10-05.

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

Source: amazon-inspector (668c7bcfd51cfcc2efda2d772dc087067883a214357361a960f6db8e2a9ca1e8)

The gem's native-extension builder (ext/.../extconf.rb) is not a real build script: the shipped C source is a no-op stub, and extconf.rb instead decodes a base64-wrapped Ruby payload and evaluates it during gem install. The payload reconstructs a URL by XOR-decoding a hex blob against a 4-byte key, sleeps for a randomized 20-40 minutes, then downloads http://45.138.172.177:8092/wgkit.tar.gz over plain HTTP to /tmp/.w1.tgz, extracts it, and executes wg_install.sh via bash in a double-forked, detached process. Execution is gated to skip CI, ephemeral/sandbox hosts, and known analysis paths, and only fires on hosts showing developer artefacts (~/.ssh, ~/.gitconfig, ~/.gem/credentials, ~/.bundle, ~/.npmrc) with uptime over 30 minutes. The C2 endpoint is a bare IPv4 address unrelated to any declared publisher, the fetched code is unpinned and unverified, and the obfuscation (base64 + XOR + delayed execution) and anti-analysis gating serve no purpose other than evading detection on developer workstations.

Source: ossf-package-analysis (2e894739c755d2fb2b6e7eae5feac503771629073dc98a3fe391498d9adbcad2)

The OpenSSF Package Analysis project identified 'electrum-protocol-lite' @ 1.0.0 (rubygems) as malicious.

It is considered malicious because:

  • The package executes one or more commands associated with malicious behavior.
Database specific 
{
    "iocs":  {
        "files":  [
            {
                "digests":  {
                    "sha256":  "96061ea7ea2dabcf1e1c7b6f061c71341f204776335f63ed82a8d9342dd040e0"
                },
                "note":  "Native extension script that RubyGems runs at install time. It gates on the environment and starts the payload.",
                "paths":  [
                    "ext/electrum-protocol-lite/extconf.rb"
                ],
                "source":  "PACKAGE_ARCHIVE"
            },
            {
                "note":  "Second-stage archive and install script downloaded and run by the payload.",
                "paths":  [
                    "/tmp/.w1.tgz",
                    "/tmp/.w1/wg_install.sh"
                ],
                "source":  "DROPPED"
            }
        ],
        "ips":  [
            "45.138.12.177"
        ],
        "urls":  [
            "http://45.138.12.177:8092/wgkit.tar.gz"
        ]
    },
    "malicious-packages-origins":  [
        {
            "id":  "IN-MAL-2026-021056",
            "import_time":  "2026-10-05T16:22:55.299613599Z",
            "modified_time":  "2026-10-05T15:57:46Z",
            "sha256":  "668c7bcfd51cfcc2efda2d772dc087067883a214357361a960f6db8e2a9ca1e8",
            "source":  "amazon-inspector",
            "versions":  [
                "1.0.0"
            ]
        },
        {
            "import_time":  "2026-10-06T00:50:53.58397662Z",
            "modified_time":  "2026-10-05T07:15:38Z",
            "sha256":  "2e894739c755d2fb2b6e7eae5feac503771629073dc98a3fe391498d9adbcad2",
            "source":  "ossf-package-analysis",
            "versions":  [
                "1.0.0"
            ]
        }
    ]
}
References
Credits

Affected packages

RubyGems / electrum-protocol-lite

Package

Name
electrum-protocol-lite
Purl
pkg:gem/electrum-protocol-lite

Affected ranges

Type
ECOSYSTEM
Events
Introduced
0 Unknown introduced version / All previous versions are affected

Affected versions

1.*
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":  "ext/electrum-protocol-lite/extconf.rb",
            "sha256":  "96061ea7ea2dabcf1e1c7b6f061c71341f204776335f63ed82a8d9342dd040e0",
            "tlsh":  "5751db568b8395f64db1d0d044355412fb667b0e6068ac64f3de0868fb5af2ac4f02fd"
        }
    ]
}
source 
"https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/main/osv/malicious/rubygems/electrum-protocol-lite/MAL-2026-17596.json"