chai-plusnpm
Advisory published Updated
chai-plus is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-14533) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious versions 6.2.3, 6.2.4, 6.2.5…). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in chai-plus (npm)
What this malware does
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.
Malicious versions
Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)
Detection & response playbook
Credential / info stealerFind it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for chai-plus (5 malicious versions).
If you installed it — respond
chai-plus 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 chai-plus 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 chai-plus-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.