axious-corenpm
axious-core is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-14162) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious version 1.0.0). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in axious-core (npm)
What this malware does
axious-core has an empty index.js and no declared functionality, but its scripts/postinstall.js runs a full install-time dropper. Four opaque byte arrays are XOR-decoded at runtime with the key 'stf2026' to reconstruct a download URL and shell command. The decoded URL points to github.com/bebraz1/... which is fetched to %TEMP%\main.exe and spawned detached with stdio ignored and windowsHide. When executed on WSL/Linux (detected by reading /proc/version and WSL environment variables), a second XOR-decoded bridge command is used to launch the downloaded Windows binary from inside the Linux environment via PowerShell/WSL interop. In parallel, sendInstallMetrics POSTs a JSON payload containing the host platform to a bare IPv4 destination assembled from an array literal ('193','70','34','101').join('.') at 193.70.34.101:20099/vote — an install-success beacon to attacker-controlled infrastructure, with the IP hidden via array join to evade static scanners. The combination of an empty library facade, XOR-obfuscated URLs and shell commands, an unverified remote binary drop-and-execute on install, a WSL escape path, and a bare-IP C2 beacon is a supply-chain dropper.
Malicious versions
Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)
Detection & response playbook
Credential / info stealerFind it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for axious-core (version 1.0.0).
If you installed it — respond
axious-core is built to steal secrets, so assume every credential the build or runtime could read is compromised. Remove it from your project and lockfile, then rotate ALL exposed secrets — npm/registry tokens, cloud keys, CI/CD secrets, SSH keys, and any .env values — from a known-clean machine. Audit logs for unauthorized use of those credentials.
Did it already run?
If axious-core was installed, its post-install payload may already have run. Removing the package does not undo that — check outbound connections and credential use from the install window onward.
Frequently asked questions
Campaign
References
Credits
- Amazon Inspector · finder
Detect & block this
O3 blocks axious-core-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.