Malicious code in hardhat-bits (npm)

CISA KEV is observed exploitation evidence. FIRST EPSS is a dated prediction of exploitation in the next 30 days. Missing scores are unknown. This collector requests predictions only for explicit CVE aliases in the public NuGet archive; Microsoft release views retain their existing prediction scope.

No collected risk observation for these identifiers. This does not establish absence of exploitation or a zero probability.

--- _-= Per source details. Do not edit below this line.=-_ ## Source: amazon-inspector (4e10f22980d33eea7649312f6b2b0a94637e5b4da400f7d585c58b6902a77944) The package is published as hardhat-bits but its README, LICENSE, docs/, and lib/* files are copied verbatim from the pino logger project, providing cover for an inserted file at lib/config.js. index.js performs `const config = require('./lib/config')` at the top level, so the file executes unconditionally when the module is required. lib/config.js is a single-line, ~4.47 MB obfuscator.io output: a 26,130-entry shuffled string array with a rotating decoder, hex-escaped member access, RC4-style key-schedule string decoding, control-flow flattening, and a self-defending IIFE. The exported `middleware` in index.js is a no-op `(_req, _res, next) => next()`, so the obfuscated module serves no documented purpose in the public API. The combination of name/branding mismatch (hardhat tooling name, pino content), a stub public API, and a multi-megabyte obfuscated blob auto-executed on import matches the trojan-loader shape used by npm supply-chain malware; any installer that requires hardhat-bits runs attacker-controlled code hidden behind the obfuscation.

Source published

8 Oct 2026 03:39:07 UTC

Source modified

8 Oct 2026 04:00:05 UTC

Observed here

24 Oct 2026 13:17:17 UTC

Source terms

OSV · upstream source license applies

Original source record · Cite this exact observation · Complete original publisher JSON

This view projects the publisher's source fields for reading; the original JSON retains additional fields and CVE enrichment containers. Attribution: osv · OSV · upstream source license applies. Source text is retained; field grouping and change labels are provided by ChangeIntel.