MAL-2026-12174 Malicious code in cors-update (npm)
Malicious package
Published
MAL-2026-12174 is a malicious package: cors-update (npm). Every version was published to cause harm.
Task:
1. Search this repository's dependency manifests and lockfiles for the package, including transitive dependencies.
2. If it is present, remove it, regenerate the lockfile with the project's package manager, and replace whatever it was used for.
3. List any CI runners, developer machines or containers that installed it, so their secrets can be rotated.
4. If the package is not used anywhere, say so and change nothing.
Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-12174/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-12174/index.md)
- Package
- cors-update
- Registry
- npm
What is MAL-2026-12174?
MAL-2026-12174 is a malicious package in cors-update, published on 5 Aug 2026.
Official description
Package impersonates the widely-used
cors Express middleware. lib/index.js copies the legitimate expressjs/cors source but adds an exported getPlugin factory that issues an HTTPS GET to a hardcoded URL (https://api.avax-test.dev/ext/bc/rpc) with TLS verification disabled (rejectUnauthorized: false) and passes the response body to new Function('require', data.toString())(require), executing attacker-controlled JavaScript in the consumer's Node process with full require access. Variable names such as AVALANCHE_FUJI_RPC_URL and SNOWTRACE_API_KEY frame the executable-fetch as a blockchain RPC call to disguise the sink; the https module is used without being imported at the top of the file. Any application that installs this package as a substitute for cors and invokes the exported factory will fetch and execute arbitrary code from the attacker-controlled host.What should I do about MAL-2026-12174?
Remove the package from your dependencies and lockfiles, then rotate any secrets on machines where it was installed.