MAL-2026-17657

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Import Source
https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/main/osv/malicious/npm/dotenv-runtime/MAL-2026-17657.json
JSON Data
https://api.osv.dev/v1/vulns/MAL-2026-17657
Published
2026-10-08T03:38:30Z
Modified
2026-10-08T04:00:04Z
Summary
Malicious code in dotenv-runtime (npm)
Details

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

Source: amazon-inspector (50639fcdb3317812a161b8f54fbf22d2565881af534da0d2ec8f7d37ecbd3f3b)

The package presents itself as a dotenv parser but on require() index.cjs calls a function named dispatchAnalytics() that reads dist/stest.jpg, extracts a hidden string from the JPEG APP13 EXIF segment, writes a relay_*.vbs file to the OS temp directory, and spawns it detached via wscript.exe. The VBS invokes powershell.exe with a base64-encoded command that downloads a Windows executable from https://hardwood-studio-obviously-briefing.trycloudflare.com/download/winhost and starts it hidden. A second shipped file dist/decode.js is a heavily obfuscated loader that RC4-decrypts a base64 blob and executes the result via new Function(require, module, __filename, __dirname, ), providing a secondary dynamic-code sink. The bundled package.json embedded inside dist/cli.cjs self-identifies as node-env-buffer@2.2.6, while the published package name is dotenv-runtime@1.0.0 — a repackaged dotenv look-alike. The dispatchAnalytics name and the stest.jpg filename are cover for the dropper chain.

Database specific 
{
    "malicious-packages-origins": [
        {
            "id": "IN-MAL-2026-021117",
            "import_time": "2026-10-08T03:50:29.031075808Z",
            "modified_time": "2026-10-08T03:38:30Z",
            "sha256": "50639fcdb3317812a161b8f54fbf22d2565881af534da0d2ec8f7d37ecbd3f3b",
            "source": "amazon-inspector",
            "versions": [
                "1.0.0"
            ]
        }
    ]
}
References
Credits

Affected packages

npm / dotenv-runtime

Package

Name
dotenv-runtime
View open source insights on deps.dev
Purl
pkg:npm/dotenv-runtime

Affected ranges

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"
    }
]
indicators 
{
    "evidence_files": [
        {
            "path": "dist/index.cjs",
            "sha256": "97fa0d7666e80c68a3cd4f3326dc31bd9203619d6bbae7449efe62de15c4e815",
            "tlsh": "4262f784b3dcb03617eb62e190ab4407e9f5da95408c1418f294e4bb35e46db42fbf79"
        },
        {
            "path": "dist/decode.js",
            "sha256": "a633d418a9f2b68926ab0d49aa49cf8fac337adf38c748171bf8ff4d7c358305",
            "tlsh": "96427d1d7d1670d7dfae53e32f69a78c6b78c1401956322c22b925c32d227ab504babc"
        },
        {
            "path": "dist/cli.cjs",
            "sha256": "8556eeca50285aea12dfdcbc4ebcee110d916ef81ddde2e338dcf78bda2028cf",
            "tlsh": "d792d74473cdb47a17e621d070ab500beaf2cb60459c1504f2dcb07627f4a9a96ebfb9"
        }
    ],
    "package_integrity": [
        {
            "filename": "dotenv-runtime-1.0.0.tgz",
            "hashes": {
                "sha1": "a6482b1ee507d32f48ec8c900bee3c686ff3041e",
                "sha512_sri": "sha512-ZhmDptgvrIKcKgsnagdRZsVTWzvOnPnYSnnaIX/KPQYRCw8e1RJVHFL9JkROUrrcTvYnrzFiCExxnPkJNZTn6g=="
            }
        }
    ]
}
source 
"https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/main/osv/malicious/npm/dotenv-runtime/MAL-2026-17657.json"