OpenSSF/OSV advisory MAL-2026-5900 confirms this npm version as malicious. Package name `chai-as-decrypted` mimics the popular `chai-as-promised`, and the README impersonates `pino` (uses pino's npm badges and links to github.com/pinojs/pino). On `npm install`, the `postinstall` hook runs `npm run smoke:pino` → `node./index.js`, whose top-level `runBackgroundTask()` spawns a detached `node lib/initializeCaller.js`. That file shadows the global `process` with a local object whose...
Source
OpenSSF Malicious Packages via OSV
Summary
Malicious code in chai-as-decrypted (npm)
Details
Package name `chai-as-decrypted` mimics the popular `chai-as-promised`, and the README impersonates `pino` (uses pino's npm badges and links to github.com/pinojs/pino). On `npm install`, the `postinstall` hook runs `npm run smoke:pino` → `node./index.js`, whose top-level `runBackgroundTask()` spawns a detached `node lib/initializeCaller.js`. That file shadows the global `process` with a local object whose `env.DEV_API_KEY` is a base64 string; it `atob`-decodes the value to https://www.ipregionchecker.org/api/ip-check-encrypted/3aeb34a37, POSTs to it via axios, and executes the HTTP response body with `new Function.constructor("require", response)(require)` — arbitrary remote JavaScript run with full `require` access on the installer's machine, retried 5 times. The base64 hiding of the endpoint and headers behind a fake `process.env` has no legitimate purpose and is solely to evade static scanners. This is a deliberate install-time remote code execution attack against developers who mistype `chai-as-promised`.
## Source: ghsa-malware (4247d01c68df5aa81cfd5bf2bec45101bd522f079f6c9ca5289e7541fc53e198) 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.
Decision reason
OpenSSF Malicious Packages via OSV confirms chai-as-decrypted@4.2.8 as malicious (MAL-2026-5900): Malicious code in chai-as-decrypted (npm)