axios Supply Chain Attack — Detection & Remediation

In March 2026, two malicious versions of axios were published to npm:

• axios@1.14.1 (live ~2h 53m)
• axios@0.30.4 (live ~2h 15m)

Both injected a fake dependency plain-crypto-js@4.2.1 that ran a postinstall script deploying a cross-platform remote access trojan (RAT). The malware then deleted itself and replaced its own package.json with a clean decoy to evade detection.

Safe versions: axios@1.14.0 (1.x users) · axios@0.30.3 (0.x users)

Step 1 — Check if the project is affected

Run these checks in the project directory:

# Check package-lock.json or yarn.lock for the malicious versions
npm list axios 2>/dev/null | grep -E "1\.14\.1|0\.30\.4"
grep -A1 '"axios"' package-lock.json 2>/dev/null | grep -E "1\.14\.1|0\.30\.4"

# Check if plain-crypto-js was ever installed
# (its presence alone means the dropper ran — it's NEVER a dep of legitimate axios)
ls node_modules/plain-crypto-js 2>/dev/null && echo "⚠️  POTENTIALLY COMPROMISED"

If plain-crypto-js/ exists in node_modules, the dropper executed. The npm list version reported may show 4.2.0 (not 4.2.1) due to the anti-forensics swap — the directory presence is the reliable signal.

Step 2 — Check for RAT artifacts on the system

# macOS
ls -la /Library/Caches/com.apple.act.mond 2>/dev/null && echo "⚠️  COMPROMISED (macOS RAT binary)"

# Linux
ls -la /tmp/ld.py 2>/dev/null && echo "⚠️  COMPROMISED (Linux Python RAT)"

# Windows (run in cmd.exe or PowerShell)
dir "%PROGRAMDATA%\wt.exe" 2>nul && echo "COMPROMISED (Windows persistent RAT)"

On Windows, %PROGRAMDATA%\wt.exe is a persistent copy of PowerShell left behind — it survives package removal and reboots.

Step 3 — Check CI/CD pipeline logs

Search CI run logs for any npm install or npm ci that may have pulled the malicious versions during the window 2026-03-31 00:21 UTC – 2026-03-31 03:15 UTC. Any pipeline run in that window that installed axios should be treated as compromised.

Reading the results

Remediation

If no compromise evidence found (precautionary cleanup)

# 1. Pin to safe version
npm install axios@1.14.0        # 1.x users
npm install axios@0.30.3        # 0.x users

# 2. Lock against transitive re-resolution (add to package.json)
# "overrides": { "axios": "1.14.0" },
# "resolutions": { "axios": "1.14.0" }

# 3. Remove plain-crypto-js if present
rm -rf node_modules/plain-crypto-js
npm install --ignore-scripts

If compromise is confirmed (RAT artifact found or dropper ran)

Do NOT attempt to clean in place. The system must be treated as fully compromised.

1. Rebuild from a known-good state — do not trust the affected machine

2. Rotate all credentials accessible at install time:

   • npm tokens
   • AWS / GCP / Azure access keys and service account keys
   • SSH private keys
   • .env file secrets (DB passwords, API keys, JWT secrets)
   • CI/CD secrets injected as environment variables
   • GitHub PATs / deployment keys

3. Audit CI/CD — for every pipeline run that installed the malicious version, rotate all secrets that were in scope during that run

4. Block the C2 domain (as a precaution on any potentially exposed network):

   # Linux/macOS — /etc/hosts
   echo "0.0.0.0 sfrclak.com" | sudo tee -a /etc/hosts
   
   # Linux firewall
   sudo iptables -A OUTPUT -d 142.11.206.73 -j DROP
   

Going forward — prevention

# In CI/CD, always use --ignore-scripts to block postinstall hooks
npm ci --ignore-scripts

Add to package.json to prevent accidental upgrade to malicious range:

{
  "overrides": { "axios": "1.14.0" }
}

Consider tools like StepSecurity Harden-Runner for CI/CD network egress monitoring.

Indicators of Compromise (IOC Reference)

Output format

When running a check, produce a structured report:

## axios Security Check Report

**Project:** <path or name>
**Date checked:** <date>

### Findings
- [ ] axios version in dependencies: <version found or "not found">
- [ ] plain-crypto-js in node_modules: <yes/no>
- [ ] macOS RAT artifact: <found/not found>
- [ ] Linux RAT artifact: <found/not found>
- [ ] Windows RAT artifact: <found/not found>

### Verdict
<CLEAN | POTENTIALLY EXPOSED | COMPROMISED>

### Recommended Actions
<list specific next steps based on findings>