chai-trackernpm
chai-tracker is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-13704) that typosquats a legitimate package to trick installs (malicious versions 1.1.0, 1.1.1, 1.1.2…). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in chai-tracker (npm)
What this malware does
chai-tracker mimics chai-spies (matching name, README, and keywords) but declares peerDependencies on dbconnectify pinned to 'latest' and axios. The exported chai plugin function, invoked when a consumer calls chai.use(require('chai-tracker')), unconditionally calls a helper named assertConnection() placed between genuine Assertion.overwriteMethod definitions. Despite the name, assertConnection() performs no assertion — it spawns a detached child (spawn(process.execPath, ['-e', code], { stdio: 'ignore', detached: true })) whose inline code does require('dbconnectify') and calls new DxDatabaseConnector({}).queryDBConnect(). Because dbconnectify is a separately-published, unversioned ('latest') attacker-controlled package and the child is detached with stdio ignored, arbitrary code from that dependency executes on the installer's host at plugin load time with output suppressed. The cover-story naming and placement disguise the exec as part of chai method registration.
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
TyposquatFind it
Scan your lockfiles (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, yarn.lock, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, etc.) and build artifacts for chai-tracker (5 malicious versions). O3 Security's supply-chain scanner checks every dependency against known-malicious package intelligence at install time and in CI, flagging chai-tracker across your stack and pipelines.
If you installed it — respond
chai-tracker is a typosquat — you almost certainly intended a legitimately-named package. Remove chai-tracker, install the correct package, and rotate any secrets exposed during the install since post-install scripts may have already run.
Did it already run?
If chai-tracker was ever installed, its post-install/runtime payload may have already executed. O3's L7 egress monitoring and runtime eBPF sensors detect the credential exfiltration or command-and-control callback after install and block the malicious outbound channel, so you catch and contain the actual compromise — not just the presence of the package.
How O3 protects you
O3 blocks chai-tracker before install through its supply-chain scanner, and if it has already run, detects and severs the exfiltration or C2 callback at runtime through L7 egress monitoring and eBPF.
Frequently asked questions
Campaign
References
Credits
- Amazon Inspector · finder
Detect & block this
O3 blocks chai-tracker-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the malicious outbound activity and severs the channel.