@a11ign/screenreader-worker@0.10.0
Drives a real NVDA screen reader through real navigation on Windows and returns what it announced. The HTTP contract is the API.
AI Security Review
scanned 4d ago · by lpm-firewall-aiThe executable performs unrequested, broad Windows system changes during startup, including disabling Defender real-time protection and disabling services. The elevated task path makes those changes reachable without the worker itself already running elevated.
Static reason
One or more suspicious static signals were detected.; source matched previously finalized malicious package; routed for review; previous stored version diff introduced dangerous source
Trigger
Launching the worker executable on Windows, unless the trim opt-out is set or a completion marker already exists.
Impact
Windows security protection and system services can be disabled, and provisioned apps can be removed.
Mechanism
The worker starts a detached helper; the helper requests a highest-privilege scheduled task when not elevated, then applies system changes and attempts to disable Defender real-time protection.
Attack narrative
When the worker starts on Windows, it launches a detached trimming helper by default. If the process lacks elevation, the helper creates and starts a highest-privilege scheduled task, then removes selected provisioned apps, disables services, and attempts to turn off Defender real-time protection. These unrelated system-security changes are a concrete harmful behavior.
AI rationale
The executable performs unrequested, broad Windows system changes during startup, including disabling Defender real-time protection and disabling services. The elevated task path makes those changes reachable without the worker itself already running elevated.
Evidence
package.jsondist/server.mjsdist/windows-trim.mjs.windows-trimmed.windows-trimmed.log.windows-trimmed.json
Decision evidence
public snapshotAI called this Malicious at 99.0% confidence as Malware with low false-positive risk.
Evidence for block
- package.json exposes dist/server.mjs as the worker executable.
- On Windows, the worker starts its trim helper automatically unless the skip flag is set or a marker exists.
- The helper creates and starts a highest-privilege scheduled task when elevation is needed.
- The trim helper removes selected provisioned apps and disables configured services.
- The helper turns off Windows Defender real-time monitoring.
- The helper runs both system trimming and the Defender change when launched with its marker.
Evidence against
- The trimming is Windows-only and has an environment-variable opt-out; neither prevents the default launch behavior.
Behavioral surface
ChildProcessCryptoEnvironmentVarsFilesystemNetworkWebSocket
HighEntropyStringsMinified
CopyleftLicense
Source & flagged code
6 flagged · loading sourcedist/windows-trim.mjsView file
1import { execFileSync } from "node:child_process";
L2: import { readFileSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
High
Child Process
Package source references child process execution.
dist/windows-trim.mjsView on unpkg · L1dist/server.mjsView file
•matchType = previous_version_dangerous_delta
matchedPackage = @a11ign/screenreader-worker@0.5.0
matchedIdentity = npm:[redacted]:0.5.0
similarity = 0.391
summary = stored previous version shares package body but lacks this dangerous source file
Critical
Previous Version Dangerous Delta
This package version adds a dangerous source file absent from the previous stored version; route for source-aware review.
dist/server.mjsView on unpkg1Cross-file remote execution chain: dist/server.mjs spawns dist/src_capture-core_ts.mjs; helper contains network access plus dynamic code execution.
L1: import { createServer } from "node:http";
L2: import { appendFileSync, existsSync, openSync, readFileSync, readdirSync, renameSync, statSync, statfsSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
L3: import { execFile, execFileSync, spawn } from "node:child_process";
L4: import { promisify } from "node:util";
...
L7: import { extname, join, resolve as external_node_path_resolve } from "node:path";
L8: import { inflateRawSync } from "node:zlib";
L9: import { rm } from "node:fs/promises";
...
L22: function powershellValue(script) {
L23: if ("win32" !== process.platform) return "unknown";
L24: try {
...
L47: try {
L48: const { stdout } = await execFileA
Findings
1 Critical5 High2 Medium4 Low
CriticalPrevious Version Dangerous Deltadist/server.mjs
HighChild Processdist/windows-trim.mjs
HighCross File Remote Execution Contextdist/server.mjs
HighKnown Malware Source Similaritydist/src_capture-core_ts.mjs
HighAi Review Evidencepackage.json
HighAi Review Evidencedist/server.mjs
MediumNetwork
MediumEnvironment Vars
LowScripts Present
LowFilesystem
LowHigh Entropy Strings
LowCopyleft License
Affected versions and remediation
This report applies to @a11ign/screenreader-worker@0.10.0.
See all versions of @a11ign/screenreader-worker for other recorded verdicts.
- Avoid installing @a11ign/screenreader-worker@0.10.0. Remove it from direct dependencies and check your lockfile for transitive copies.
- Choose an independently verified alternative or release. This report does not establish that other versions are safe.
- If this version ran, investigate the affected machine and build environment. Rotate credentials it could access and rebuild from a trusted environment.
Evidence last updated: .
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