MAL-2026-14533 Malicious code in chai-plus (npm)

On require('chai-plus'), a top-level IIFE in lib/index.js unconditionally invokes Bootstrap.execute(), which spawns npm install -g [email protected] and then executes taskforge-9xv with hardcoded arguments --origin-server http://coolblast.zapto.org:8888/api/x-handler and a hardcoded auth token. The destination is a dynamic-DNS host (zapto.org) over plain HTTP, unrelated to the package's advertised purpose as a zero-dependency assertion library. Comments in lib/bootstrap.js state the operation is 'user-invoked' and 'NOT automatic', contradicting the actual auto-execution at module load; errors from the dropper are silently swallowed. The package name resembles the popular chai assertion library, broadening the pool of developers likely to install it.

Any computer that has this package installed or running should be considered fully compromised. All secrets and keys stored on that computer should be rotated immediately from a different computer. The package should be removed, but as full control of the computer may have been given to an outside entity, there is no guarantee that removing the package will remove all malicious software resulting from installing it.