{"id":"MAL-2026-17657","summary":"Malicious code in dotenv-runtime (npm)","details":"\n---\n_-= Per source details. Do not edit below this line.=-_\n\n## Source: amazon-inspector (50639fcdb3317812a161b8f54fbf22d2565881af534da0d2ec8f7d37ecbd3f3b)\nThe package presents itself as a dotenv parser but on require() index.cjs calls a function named dispatchAnalytics() that reads dist/stest.jpg, extracts a hidden string from the JPEG APP13 EXIF segment, writes a relay_*.vbs file to the OS temp directory, and spawns it detached via wscript.exe. The VBS invokes powershell.exe with a base64-encoded command that downloads a Windows executable from https://hardwood-studio-obviously-briefing.trycloudflare.com/download/winhost and starts it hidden. A second shipped file dist/decode.js is a heavily obfuscated loader that RC4-decrypts a base64 blob and executes the result via new Function(require, module, __filename, __dirname, \u003cdecoded\u003e), providing a secondary dynamic-code sink. The bundled package.json embedded inside dist/cli.cjs self-identifies as node-env-buffer@2.2.6, while the published package name is dotenv-runtime@1.0.0 — a repackaged dotenv look-alike. The dispatchAnalytics name and the stest.jpg filename are cover for the dropper chain.\n","modified":"2026-10-08T04:00:04.230755317Z","published":"2026-10-08T03:38:30Z","database_specific":{"malicious-packages-origins":[{"source":"amazon-inspector","versions":["1.0.0"],"id":"IN-MAL-2026-021117","import_time":"2026-10-08T03:50:29.031075808Z","modified_time":"2026-10-08T03:38:30Z","sha256":"50639fcdb3317812a161b8f54fbf22d2565881af534da0d2ec8f7d37ecbd3f3b"}]},"references":[{"type":"PACKAGE","url":"https://www.npmjs.com/package/dotenv-runtime/v/1.0.0"}],"affected":[{"package":{"name":"dotenv-runtime","ecosystem":"npm","purl":"pkg:npm/dotenv-runtime"},"versions":["1.0.0"],"database_specific":{"indicators":{"package_integrity":[{"filename":"dotenv-runtime-1.0.0.tgz","hashes":{"sha1":"a6482b1ee507d32f48ec8c900bee3c686ff3041e","sha512_sri":"sha512-ZhmDptgvrIKcKgsnagdRZsVTWzvOnPnYSnnaIX/KPQYRCw8e1RJVHFL9JkROUrrcTvYnrzFiCExxnPkJNZTn6g=="}}],"evidence_files":[{"sha256":"97fa0d7666e80c68a3cd4f3326dc31bd9203619d6bbae7449efe62de15c4e815","tlsh":"4262f784b3dcb03617eb62e190ab4407e9f5da95408c1418f294e4bb35e46db42fbf79","path":"dist/index.cjs"},{"sha256":"a633d418a9f2b68926ab0d49aa49cf8fac337adf38c748171bf8ff4d7c358305","tlsh":"96427d1d7d1670d7dfae53e32f69a78c6b78c1401956322c22b925c32d227ab504babc","path":"dist/decode.js"},{"path":"dist/cli.cjs","sha256":"8556eeca50285aea12dfdcbc4ebcee110d916ef81ddde2e338dcf78bda2028cf","tlsh":"d792d74473cdb47a17e621d070ab500beaf2cb60459c1504f2dcb07627f4a9a96ebfb9"}]},"cwes":[{"description":"The product contains code that appears to be malicious in nature.","name":"Embedded Malicious Code","cweId":"CWE-506"}],"source":"https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/main/osv/malicious/npm/dotenv-runtime/MAL-2026-17657.json"}}],"schema_version":"1.9.0","credits":[{"name":"Amazon Inspector","contact":["inspector-research@amazon.com"],"type":"FINDER"}]}