@a11ign/screenreader-worker@0.13.11
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 6d ago · by lpm-firewall-aiThe published server entrypoint triggers a Windows helper that attempts to disable Defender and can elevate itself to highest privileges. This is concrete security-control tampering and warrants blocking.
Static reason
One or more suspicious static signals were detected.; source matched previously finalized malicious package; routed for review; source fingerprint signature matched known malicious package; routed for review
Trigger
Starting the published server command on Windows, unless trimming is skipped or already marked complete.
Impact
If the setting succeeds, the host loses real-time antivirus protection, increasing exposure to other threats.
Mechanism
The server launches windows-trim.mjs in the background; the helper can request highest-privilege execution and uses PowerShell to turn off Defender real-time monitoring.
Attack narrative
The package’s Windows server startup automatically launches a trimming helper. The helper can arrange highest-privilege execution and explicitly attempts to disable Defender real-time protection. The source checks whether Defender was actually disabled, so this is an active security-control disabling behavior, not merely an unused capability.
AI rationale
The published server entrypoint triggers a Windows helper that attempts to disable Defender and can elevate itself to highest privileges. This is concrete security-control tampering and warrants blocking.
Evidence
dist/server.mjsdist/windows-trim.mjs.windows-trimmed.windows-trimmed.json.windows-trimmed.log
Decision evidence
public snapshotAI called this Malicious at 97.0% confidence as Malware with low false-positive risk.
Evidence for block
- The published command launches dist/server.mjs, which starts Windows trimming when the server boots.
- On Windows, the boot path starts a helper unless trimming is skipped or its marker already exists.
- The helper can schedule itself to run with highest privileges when it is not elevated.
- The helper attempts to disable Microsoft Defender real-time protection and checks whether it succeeded.
Evidence against
- The behavior is Windows-specific and does not run when A11Y_SKIP_TRIM=1 or a completed marker exists.
- The package has no install lifecycle hook; the behavior is activated by starting its server command.
Behavioral surface
ChildProcessCryptoEnvironmentVarsFilesystemNetworkWebSocket
HighEntropyStringsMinified
CopyleftLicense
Source & flagged code
7 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
1Cross-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, realpathSync, renameSync, statSync, statfsSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
L3: import { execFile, execFileSync, spawn } from "node:child_process";
L4: import { promisify } from "node:util";
...
L8: import { extname, join, resolve as external_node_path_resolve } from "node:path";
L9: import { inflateRawSync } from "node:zlib";
L10: import { randomUUID } from "node:crypto";
...
L22: function powershellValue(script) {
L23: if ("win32" !== process.platform) return "unknown";
L24: try {
...
L47: try {
L48: const { stdout }
High
Cross File Remote Execution Context
Source spawns a local helper that also contains network and dynamic execution context; review data flow before blocking.
dist/server.mjsFindings
6 High4 Medium4 Low
HighChild Processdist/windows-trim.mjs
HighCross File Remote Execution Contextdist/server.mjs
HighKnown Malware Source Similaritydist/server.mjs
HighKnown Malware Source Similaritydist/src_capture-core_ts.mjs
HighKnown Malware Source Similaritydist/src_auth-flow_ts.mjs
HighKnown Malware Source Fingerprint Signaturedist/server.mjs
MediumNetwork
MediumEnvironment Vars
MediumShips Build Helperlauncher/apply-foreground-lock-timeout.ps1
MediumStructural Risk Force Deep Review
LowScripts Present
LowFilesystem
LowHigh Entropy Strings
Low
Affected versions and remediation
This report applies to @a11ign/screenreader-worker@0.13.11.
See all versions of @a11ign/screenreader-worker for other recorded verdicts.
- Avoid installing @a11ign/screenreader-worker@0.13.11. 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: .
Think this verdict is wrong? Dispute it on GitHub or read how reports are produced.