Search results for node-js | Breaking Cybersecurity News | The Hacker News

Node.js has released updates to fix what it described as a critical security issue impacting "virtually every production Node.js app" that, if successfully exploited, could trigger a denial-of-service (DoS) condition. "Node.js/V8 makes a best-effort attempt to recover from stack space exhaustion with a catchable error, which frameworks have come to rely on for service availability," Node.js's Matteo Collina and Joyee Cheung said in a Tuesday bulletin. "A bug that only reproduces when async_hooks are used would break this attempt, causing Node.js to exit with 7 directly without throwing a catchable error when recursions in user code exhaust the stack space. This makes applications whose recursion depth is controlled by unsanitized input vulnerable to denial-of-service attacks." At its core, the shortcoming stems from the fact that Node.js exits with code 7 (denoting an Internal Exception Handler Run-Time Failure ) instead of gracefully handling the...

Threat actors are leveraging the trusted Node.js JavaScript runtime in multiple cyber attacks as a way to deploy malicious payloads. According to a new report published by the Symantec Threat Hunter Team today, the attack method has been put to use in attacks targeting government departments, technology companies, and hotels since February 2026. "The technique's appeal is that node.exe (the binary that runs Node.js) is a legitimate, signed developer tool," the Broadcom-owned cybersecurity division said in a report shared with The Hacker News. "The attacker's malicious code lives in interpreted scripts rather than in a binary, making it less likely to trigger signature-based detection, while a registry Run key entry can relaunch the payload at every login." In one intrusion observed between March 23 and July 25, 2026, targeting an unspecified Asian technology company, attackers downloaded the official Node.js installer from nodejs[.]org and used the t...

Cybersecurity researchers have flagged half a dozen vulnerabilities in protobuf.js, a JavaScript and TypeScript implementation of Protocol Buffers ( Protobuf ), that, if successfully exploited, could result in remote code execution (RCE) and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. "In affected environments, a single malicious protobuf schema, descriptor, or crafted payload could be enough to trigger crashes, runtime corruption, or even code execution," Cyera security researcher Assaf Morag said . The vulnerabilities have been codenamed Proto6 . Protobuf is a free and open-source, language-agnostic mechanism for serializing structured data. It was originally developed and used internally by Google before it was made publicly available in 2008. The identified vulnerabilities affect Node.js applications that use protobuf.js, Google Cloud client libraries, messaging frameworks like Baileys , and CI/CD pipelines. Per Cyera, any Node.js service that deserializes Protobuf data or ge...

Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of an active malware campaign called Stealit that has leveraged Node.js' Single Executable Application (SEA) feature as a way to distribute its payloads. According to Fortinet FortiGuard Labs, select iterations have also employed the open-source Electron framework to deliver the malware. It's assessed that the malware is being propagated through counterfeit installers for games and VPN applications that are uploaded to file-sharing sites such as Mediafire and Discord. SEA is a feature that allows Node.js applications to be packaged and distributed as a standalone executable, even on systems without Node.js installed. "Both approaches are effective for distributing Node.js-based malware, as they allow execution without requiring a pre-installed Node.js runtime or additional dependencies," security researchers Eduardo Altares and Joie Salvio said in a report shared with The Hacker News. On a dedicated website, the...

Microsoft is calling attention to an ongoing malvertising campaign that makes use of Node.js to deliver malicious payloads capable of information theft and data exfiltration. The activity, first detected in October 2024, uses lures related to cryptocurrency trading to trick users into installing a rogue installer from fraudulent websites that masquerade as legitimate software like Binance or TradingView. The downloaded installer comes embedded with a dynamic-link library ("CustomActions.dll") that's responsible for harvesting basic system information using Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) and setting up persistence on the host via a scheduled task. In an attempt to keep up the ruse, the DLL launches a browser window via " msedge_proxy.exe " that displays the legitimate cryptocurrency trading website. It's worth noting that "msedge_proxy.exe" can be used to display any website as a web application. The scheduled task, in the meanwhile...

Beta release versions of two npm packages in the @joyfill namespace have been compromised to deliver a remote access trojan (RAT) associated with the DEV#POPPER malware family. The list of affected packages is as follows - @joyfill/layouts@0.1.2-2773.beta.0 @joyfill/components@4.0.0-rc24-2773-beta.4 The two packages "contain an import-time JavaScript implant that resolves encrypted code through Tron, Aptos, and BNB Smart Chain transactions," Socket said in an analysis. Unlike other malicious packages that are triggered via an npm lifecycle hook, the implant delivered as part of the JavaScript libraries runs when Node.js loads the CommonJS package entry point. It's worth noting that the use of a multi-blockchain resolver structure comprising Tron, Aptos, and BNB Smart Chain (BSC) has been linked to a threat cluster tracked as PolinRider , which is assessed to be related to Contagious Interview . Earlier this month, Checkmarx and OpenSourceMalware highl...

Nowadays, more malware developers are using unconventional programming languages to bypass advanced detection systems. The Node.js malware Lu0Bot is a testament to this trend. By targeting a platform-agnostic runtime environment common in modern web apps and employing multi-layer obfuscation, Lu0Bot is a serious threat to organizations and individuals. Although currently, the malware has low activity, the attackers are likely waiting for the right moment to strike.  To be prepared for any future scenario, a team of analysts conducted an in-depth technical analysis of one of the recent samples of Lu0Bot and  published an article  documenting their process. Here's an overview of their research. Static analysis of the Lu0Bot sample  The  sample  under investigation used an SFX packer, a self-extracting archive that can be opened with any archive utility. Its contents were explored individually. Archive contents 1. BAT-file The content of the BAT fil...

A new security vulnerability in Next.js could allow attackers to run code on a server via  ImageResponse , the feature that generates Open Graph and other social preview images, Vercel said. The risk applies when an app puts values an attacker controls, such as text read from the request URL, into the image. Vercel, which develops Next.js,  fixed the flaw  on September 22 in version 16.3.6. The flaw, tracked as CVE-2026-94545 , affects Next.js 16.2.0 through 16.3.5 when ImageResponse runs on the Node.js runtime, which Next.js  uses by default . Vercel's  advisory  rates it critical, with a CVSS score of 9.5. The Edge version of ImageResponse is not affected, and neither is Next.js 15. ImageResponse uses  Satori , a Vercel library, to convert the image layout into SVG code before the final PNG is generated. Affected apps are those that "pass attacker-controlled values into SVG content, attributes, or styles during image generation", according to ...

An active phishing campaign has been targeting hotel and other hospitality organizations across Europe and Asia since April 2026, using photo-themed ZIP files to drop a Node.js implant and dig into front-desk machines, Microsoft says. The company has not attributed the activity to a known threat actor, and the operators' end goal is still unclear. The lure plays to how hotels work. Phishing emails carry the display name "Booking Manager (via Calendly)" and reference guest complaints, bedbug infestations, room inquiries, health inspections, and stay reviews. The lures came in Japanese, Danish, and Dutch, with Japanese the most common. The subject line names no recipient or property, which points to high-volume, list-driven sending rather than tailored spear phishing. The pressure is reputational: complaints, final warnings, threatened inspections. The delivery is the interesting part. The operators route messages through Calendly's email notification system a...

The popular HTTP client known as Axios has suffered a supply chain attack after two newly published versions of the npm package introduced a malicious dependency that delivers a trojan capable of targeting Windows, macOS, and Linux systems. Versions 1.14.1 and 0.30.4 of Axios have been found to inject " plain-crypto-js " version 4.2.1 as a fake dependency. According to StepSecurity, the two versions were published using the compromised npm credentials of the primary Axios maintainer ("jasonsaayman"), allowing the attackers to bypass the project's GitHub Actions CI/CD pipeline. "Its sole purpose is to execute a postinstall script that acts as a cross-platform remote access trojan (RAT) dropper, targeting macOS, Windows, and Linux," security researcher Ashish Kurmi said . "The dropper contacts a live command and control server and delivers platform-specific second-stage payloads. After execution, the malware deletes itself and replaces its own...

The North Korean threat actors behind the Contagious Interview campaign, also tracked as WaterPlum, have been attributed to a malware family tracked as StoatWaffle that's distributed via malicious Microsoft Visual Studio Code (VS Code) projects. The use of VS Code "tasks.json" to distribute malware is a relatively new tactic adopted by the threat actor since December 2025 , with the attacks leveraging the "runOn: folderOpen" option to automatically trigger its execution every time any file in the project folder is opened in VS Code. "This task is configured so that it downloads data from a web application on Vercel regardless of executing OS [operating system]," NTT Security said in a report published last week. "Though we assume that the executing OS is Windows in this article, the essential behaviors are the same for any OS." The downloaded payload first checks whether Node.js is installed in the executing environment. If it's ab...

Users of the " @adonisjs/bodyparser " npm package are being advised to update to the latest version following the disclosure of a critical security vulnerability that, if successfully exploited, could allow a remote attacker to write arbitrary files on the server. Tracked as CVE-2026-21440 (CVSS score: 9.2), the flaw has been described as a path traversal issue affecting the AdonisJS multipart file handling mechanism. "@adonisjs/bodyparser" is an npm package associated with AdonisJS, a Node.js framework for developing web apps and API servers with TypeScript. The library is used to process AdonisJS HTTP request body . "If a developer uses MultipartFile.move() without the second options argument or without explicitly sanitizing the filename, an attacker can supply a crafted filename value containing traversal sequences, writing to a destination path outside the intended upload directory," the project maintainers said in an advisory released last week. ...

Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a new set of malicious npm packages that are designed to steal cryptocurrency wallets and sensitive data. The activity is being tracked by ReversingLabs as the Ghost campaign. The list of identified packages, all published by a user named mikilanjillo, is below - react-performance-suite react-state-optimizer-core react-fast-utilsa ai-fast-auto-trader pkgnewfefame1 carbon-mac-copy-cloner coinbase-desktop-sdk "The packages themselves are phishing for sudo password with which the last stage is executed, and are trying to hide their real functionality and avoid detection in a sophisticated way: displaying fake npm install logs," Lucija Valentić, software threat researcher at ReversingLabs, said in a report shared with The Hacker News. The identified Node.js libraries, besides falsely claiming to download additional packages, insert random delays to give the impression that the installation process is underway. At one point du...

Watch out Windows users! There's a new strain of malware making rounds on the Internet that has already infected thousands of computers worldwide and most likely, your antivirus program would not be able to detect it. Why? That's because, first, it's an advanced fileless malware and second, it leverages only legitimate built-in system utilities and third-party tools to extend its functionality and compromise computers, rather than using any malicious piece of code. The technique of bringing its own legitimate tools is effective and has rarely been spotted in the wild, helping attackers to blend in their malicious activities with regular network activity or system administration tasks while leaving fewer footprints. Independently discovered by cybersecurity researchers at Microsoft and Cisco Talos, the malware — dubbed " Nodersok " and " Divergent " — is primarily being distributed via malicious online advertisements and infecting users using ...

Cybesecurity researchers today revealed a new malspam campaign that distributes a remote access Trojan (RAT) by purporting to contain a sex scandal video of U.S. President Donald Trump. The emails, which carry with the subject line "GOOD LOAN OFFER!!," come attached with a Java archive (JAR) file called "TRUMP_SEX_SCANDAL_VIDEO.jar," which, when downloaded, installs Qua or Quaverse RAT ( QRAT ) onto the infiltrated system. "We suspect that the bad guys are attempting to ride the frenzy brought about by the recently concluded Presidential elections since the filename they used on the attachment is totally unrelated to the email's theme," Trustwave's Senior Security Researcher Diana Lopera said in a write-up published today. The latest campaign is a variant of the Windows-based QRAT downloader Trustwave researchers  discovered  in August. The infection chain starts with a spam message containing an embedded attachment or a link pointing to a m...

Threat actors behind the Interlock ransomware group have unleashed a new PHP variant of its bespoke remote access trojan (RAT) as part of a widespread campaign using a variant of ClickFix called FileFix. "Since May 2025, activity related to the Interlock RAT has been observed in connection with the LandUpdate808 (aka KongTuke) web-inject threat clusters," The DFIR Report said in a technical analysis published today in collaboration with Proofpoint. "The campaign begins with compromised websites injected with a single-line script hidden in the page's HTML, often unbeknownst to site owners or visitors." The JavaScript code acts as a traffic distribution system (TDS), using IP filtering techniques to redirect users to fake CAPTCHA verification pages that leverage ClickFix to entice them into running a PowerShell script that leads to the deployment of NodeSnake (aka Interlock RAT or Supper ). The use of NodeSnake by Interlock was previously documented by Qu...