Which versions of json-validator-utils are malicious?

The following npm versions of json-validator-utils are flagged malicious: 1.0.1, 1.1.0. Treat any of these as compromised.

How do I remediate json-validator-utils if I installed it?

json-validator-utils establishes remote access, so treat any host that installed it as fully compromised. Isolate the machine, remove the package, rotate all credentials it could reach, and rebuild from a trusted image rather than cleaning in place — a backdoor may have planted additional persistence.

I already installed json-validator-utils — how do I know if it already compromised me?

If json-validator-utils 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.

Is json-validator-utils part of a known attack campaign?

Yes — json-validator-utils is associated with the IN-MAL-2026-014571, IN-MAL-2026-014569 campaign. Packages in the same campaign often share infrastructure and payloads, so check whether any related packages are also in your dependency tree.

How do I find json-validator-utils across my projects, lockfiles, and CI pipelines?

Scan your lockfiles (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, yarn.lock, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, etc.) and build artifacts for json-validator-utils (2 malicious versions). O3 Security's supply-chain scanner checks every dependency against known-malicious package intelligence at install time and in CI, flagging json-validator-utils across your stack and pipelines.

Malicious package

json-validator-utilsnpm

json-validator-utils is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-12182) that opens a backdoor for remote access (malicious versions 1.0.1, 1.1.0). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

Malicious code in json-validator-utils (npm)

MAL-2026-12182

Immediate action

Remove the package, then rotate any secrets the build/runtime could reach.

npm uninstall json-validator-utils

What this malware does

The package advertises itself as a JSON/XML validator but lib/core.js contains a multi-stage dropper triggered on any call to the public API (validateJson/validateXml). A hardcoded C2 URL is stored as an XOR-encrypted hex literal (key 0xAA ^ 0xFF = 0x55) and decoded at runtime to https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/cryptonomad411/cool-utils/package.json — a personal GitHub account unrelated to the package's stated purpose. The decoded manifest supplies a platform+arch-keyed payload URL that is downloaded to /tmp or %TEMP% and executed (cscript on Windows; chmod+x and spawn('sh',...) on Linux/macOS). Execution is gated behind os.uptime() >= 300 to evade short-lived analysis sandboxes and CI containers. After running the second-stage payload, the Linux branch writes a randomly-named unit to ~/.config/systemd/user and enables it via systemctl --user enable --now, and the macOS branch writes a randomly-named plist to ~/Library/LaunchAgents and loads it via launchctl load -w, granting persistent auto-start execution of attacker-controlled code on the installer's host.

Malicious versions

2 flagged

1.0.11.1.0

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

255dbc17164a6243a92bab0b4d71132efad3028b53e73d7d2924a1d7ccd1e8cf

85655b7c3b2a246107b7e7460f7ad76333a95a7739307941c843dd75464c60f6

Detection & response playbook

Backdoor / remote access

Find it
Scan your lockfiles (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, yarn.lock, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, etc.) and build artifacts for json-validator-utils (2 malicious versions). O3 Security's supply-chain scanner checks every dependency against known-malicious package intelligence at install time and in CI, flagging json-validator-utils across your stack and pipelines.
If you installed it — respond
json-validator-utils establishes remote access, so treat any host that installed it as fully compromised. Isolate the machine, remove the package, rotate all credentials it could reach, and rebuild from a trusted image rather than cleaning in place — a backdoor may have planted additional persistence.
Did it already run?
If json-validator-utils 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 json-validator-utils 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

No. json-validator-utils on npm has been identified as a malicious package (versions 1.0.1, 1.1.0 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

IN-MAL-2026-014571IN-MAL-2026-014569

References

Credits

Amazon Inspector · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks json-validator-utils-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the C2 callback and severs the channel.

Malware detection Runtime egress monitoring

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