Malicious code in axious-core (npm)
axious-core, an npm package, contained malicious code in its postinstall script that acted as an install-time dropper, downloading and executing a Windows binary and beaconing to attacker infrastructure. The package had an empty index.js facade with no declared functionality, masking the malicious behavior.
- Disclosed
- Last updated
- Blast radius
- npm ecosystem; any developer or system installing axious-core
- Ecosystems
- Attack vectors
- Affected entities
- axious-corenpm package with malicious postinstall script
axious-core is an npm package that contained a supply-chain dropper disguised as a legitimate library. The package's index.js file was empty with no declared functionality, but its scripts/postinstall.js contained obfuscated malicious code.
The postinstall script used XOR-decoding (with key 'stf2026') to reconstruct a download URL and shell command at runtime, pointing to github.com/bebraz1/... The script would fetch a binary to %TEMP%\main.exe and execute it with detached process, hidden window, and ignored stdio. For WSL/Linux environments (detected via /proc/version and WSL environment variables), a second XOR-decoded command would launch the Windows binary from Linux via PowerShell/WSL interop.
In parallel, the malicious code sent install metrics via POST to 193.70.34.101:20099/vote, a bare IPv4 address assembled from an array literal to evade static scanners. This beacon reported the host platform to attacker-controlled infrastructure.
The combination of an empty library facade, XOR-obfuscated payloads, unverified remote binary execution on install, WSL escape capability, and C2 beaconing constitutes a sophisticated supply-chain attack. The incident was identified and credited to the OpenSSF malicious-packages project.
Indicators of compromise
- Domains
- github.com/bebraz1
- IPs
- 193.70.34.101
Remediation
- Immediately uninstall axious-core from all systems
- Audit npm install logs and package-lock.json for presence of axious-core
- Scan systems that installed axious-core for the presence of main.exe in %TEMP% or evidence of execution
- Check for outbound connections to 193.70.34.101:20099
- Review process execution logs for PowerShell or WSL invocations from npm postinstall context
- Update npm to the latest version and use npm audit to detect similar malicious packages
- Consider using npm package signature verification and allowlist policies for production environments
Sources
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-4f6m-jvj7-cwjj · GitHub Advisory Database
Cite this entry
"Malicious code in axious-core (npm)." supplychainattack.org, Supply Chain Attack Incident Catalog. Disclosed August 19, 2026; last updated August 19, 2026. https://supplychainattack.org/incident/malicious-code-in-axious-core-npm-3fshor
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