registry / @apexfdn/apex / 1.0.19

@apexfdn/apex@1.0.19

AI Security Review

scanned 3h ago · by lpm-firewall-ai

`postinstall` silently retrieves and makes executable a remote platform binary. On Windows it also retrieves a native addon under the user's home directory. No source-confirmed credential theft or agent-control mutation was found.

Static reason

One or more suspicious static signals were detected.

Trigger

npm installation, unless `CI` or `SKIP_APEX_INSTALL` is set

Impact

A compromised release, redirect target, or delivery path can cause arbitrary native code execution under the installing user.

Mechanism

unverified remote binary and native-addon download followed by execution through the CLI launcher

Rationale

This is a concrete install-time remote native-code delivery chain without integrity verification, but the inspected JavaScript does not establish intentional malicious behavior such as exfiltration or foreign AI-agent control-surface mutation. It warrants a warning rather than a block.

Evidence

package.jsoninstall.cjsapex.cjsREADME.mdbin/apexbin/apex.exe~/.apex/natives/16.3.6/pi_natives.win32-x64-baseline.node

Network endpoints1

github.com/Apex-Foundation/copilot/releases/download/v1.0.0/

OSV Corroboration

OpenSSF/OSV

Advisory

MAL-2026-10979

Source

OpenSSF Malicious Packages via OSV

Summary

Malicious code in @apexfdn/apex (npm)

Details

Any computer that has this package installed or running should be considered fully compromised. All secrets and keys stored on that computer should be rotated immediately from a different computer. The package should be removed, but as full control of the computer may have been given to an outside entity, there is no guarantee that removing the package will remove all malicious software resulting from installing it.

References

OSV advisory OpenSSF JSON ADVISORY

Decision evidence

public snapshot

AI called this Suspicious at 92.0% confidence as Dangerous Capability with medium false-positive risk.

Evidence for block

`package.json` runs `node install.cjs` as `postinstall`.
`install.cjs` downloads an executable from `github.com/Apex-Foundation/copilot`.
`install.cjs` follows redirects without validating destination, checksum, signature, or size.
On Windows, `install.cjs` writes a downloaded native `.node` addon to `~/.apex/natives/16.3.6`.
`apex.cjs` executes the downloaded `bin/apex` with inherited environment variables.

Evidence against

The install script exits when `CI` or `SKIP_APEX_INSTALL` is set.
Inspected source contains no credential harvesting, exfiltration, shell command construction, or AI-agent configuration writes.
The only observed network hosts are GitHub release URLs, aligned with the declared binary installer purpose.
`bin/apex` is empty in this extracted package, so no shipped binary payload could be inspected.

Behavioral surface

Source

ChildProcessEnvironmentVarsFilesystemNetwork

Supply chain

Source & flagged code

2 flagged

package.jsonView file

•scripts.postinstall = node install.cjs

High

Install Time Lifecycle Scripts

Package defines install-time lifecycle scripts.

package.jsonView on unpkg

•scripts.postinstall = node install.cjs

Medium

Ambiguous Install Lifecycle Script

Install-time lifecycle script is not statically allowlisted and needs review.

package.jsonView on unpkg

Source & flagged code

2 flagged · loading source

package.jsonView file

•scripts.postinstall = node install.cjs

High

Install Time Lifecycle Scripts

Package defines install-time lifecycle scripts.

package.jsonView on unpkg

•scripts.postinstall = node install.cjs

Medium

Ambiguous Install Lifecycle Script

Install-time lifecycle script is not statically allowlisted and needs review.

package.jsonView on unpkg

Findings

1 High3 Medium3 Low

HighInstall Time Lifecycle Scriptspackage.json

MediumAmbiguous Install Lifecycle Scriptpackage.json

MediumNetwork

MediumEnvironment Vars

LowScripts Present

LowFilesystem

LowUrl Strings