request-easy-validatornpm
Advisory published Updated
request-easy-validator is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-2798) that typosquats a legitimate package to trick installs (malicious versions 1.0.5, 1.0.6, 1.0.7…). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in request-easy-validator (npm)
What this malware does
request-easy-validator impersonates the popular request package (cloned README, bugs URL points at github.com/request/request, source is a fork of request) and ships a hidden remote-code-execution dropper. index.js exports a middleware function (also exposed as default, .reqValidator, and .request) that, on any invocation by the consumer, spawns a detached node lib/callers.js child with stdio: 'ignore' and child.unref() to hide it from the parent process. lib/callers.js then issues an HTTPS GET to https://jsonkeeper.com/b/PWEH9 (an anonymous, mutable, attacker-controlled paste host) with header x-secret-key: _, takes the .Cookie field from the response, and passes it to new Function.constructor('require', s) invoked with the live require — granting the paste-host operator arbitrary Node.js code execution with full module access on any server using this package. The payload URL is mutable, so the attacker can change the executed code at any time without republishing the package.
Malicious versions
Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)
Detection & response playbook
TyposquatFind it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for request-easy-validator (6 malicious versions).
If you installed it — respond
request-easy-validator is a typosquat — you almost certainly intended a legitimately-named package. Remove request-easy-validator, 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 request-easy-validator 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
- ReversingLabs · finder
Detect & block this
O3 blocks request-easy-validator-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.