MAL-2026-4480

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Import Source
https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/main/osv/malicious/npm/aonote/MAL-2026-4480.json
JSON Data
https://api.osv.dev/v1/vulns/MAL-2026-4480
Published
2026-05-26T00:59:18Z
Modified
2026-06-04T23:16:44.530431327Z
Summary
Malicious code in aonote (npm)
Details

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

Source: amazon-inspector (df30872a579b6ce2419993ff9bad621f42347097dd43551a26583223e6a98a7b)

package.json declares "preinstall": "./scripts/postbuild", where scripts/postbuild is a 976KB UPX-packed Linux x86-64 ELF (sha256 36abd242...) shipped in the tarball with no source, no documentation, and no relation to the package's stated purpose (a JavaScript Arweave/AO note SDK). The binary executes unconditionally on every npm install on Linux. Strings inside the binary include kernel/loader paths (/lib64, nux-x86-), UPX self-tag (http://upx.sf.net), eBPF and ptrace symbols (LIBBPF_0.0, _PTRACE), cryptographic primitives (RSA_PKCS1_, Ed25519, MLKEM), HTTP client strings (HTTP/1.1), and host-identity references (USERPROFILE, BY_FAMILY). Package metadata is hollow (description: "", author: ""), consistent with a hijack of a previously-legitimate name or an attacker-published lure. A JS SDK has no legitimate need to execute an opaque packed native binary at install time; the UPX packing additionally hides the payload from static review. Any developer or CI pipeline running npm install aonote on Linux executes attacker-controlled native code with the invoking user's privileges.

Source: google-open-source-security (146faaf0d97c6a533a969bc3f3f117811f9317dc865ed4ab37f1679842ddeaae)

This package was compromised as part of the IronWorm campaign. This campaign executes a malicious binary payload during installation via a preinstall hook. The payload is a Rust-built infostealer that targets developer environments, scanning for and harvesting credentials related to cloud providers, object storage, databases, source-control, package registries, and AI developer tools. It also targets cryptocurrency wallets, specifically injecting a malicious JavaScript hook into the Exodus desktop wallet to capture passwords and recovery phrases. Furthermore, the malware exhibits worm-like behavior by stealing GitHub and NPM credentials to push malicious updates to the victim's repositories and publish trojanized packages, and it uses an eBPF-based kernel rootkit to hide its processes and network connections on Linux systems.

Database specific 
{
    "malicious-packages-origins": [
        {
            "id": "IN-MAL-2026-004808",
            "import_time": "2026-05-26T05:53:19.199580124Z",
            "sha256": "df30872a579b6ce2419993ff9bad621f42347097dd43551a26583223e6a98a7b",
            "source": "amazon-inspector",
            "modified_time": "2026-05-26T00:59:18Z",
            "versions": [
                "0.11.1"
            ]
        },
        {
            "import_time": "2026-06-04T22:42:01.227855Z",
            "sha256": "146faaf0d97c6a533a969bc3f3f117811f9317dc865ed4ab37f1679842ddeaae",
            "source": "google-open-source-security",
            "modified_time": "2026-06-04T22:28:51.769005667Z",
            "versions": [
                "0.11.1"
            ]
        }
    ]
}
References
Credits

Affected packages

npm / aonote

Package

Name
aonote
View open source insights on deps.dev
Purl
pkg:npm/aonote

Affected ranges

Affected versions

0.*
0.11.1

Database specific

indicators 
{
    "evidence_files": [
        {
            "path": "package.json",
            "sha256": "1069d5d3334f699c23673562c4f87012857123f2887c26a16933982805ebff3d",
            "tlsh": "8ff05920cd65edb305c862a0aa7a4583baf94e130445fc4973d2b60c8b8c37b64f921c"
        }
    ],
    "package_integrity": [
        {
            "filename": "aonote-0.11.1.tgz",
            "hashes": {
                "sha512_sri": "sha512-CuSzqJVidyzLjd3OpYwVoNiWHmMJy8UxFd8PO29fqaVPyvhYZZtwhoY/GP5NGYFw9qORc9fznWYCIP9lp+V+Dw==",
                "sha1": "2ac42d68784d5ffe8978d3ad89677fb23b9ba0e5"
            }
        }
    ]
}
cwes 
[
    {
        "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/aonote/MAL-2026-4480.json"