Critical Malicious Code Vulnerability in babel-plugin-standalone Package
Summary
MAL-2025-191491: Malicious code in babel-plugin-standalone (npm). Affects babel-plugin-standalone versions 4.1.0 – 5.2.0. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
Check if this vulnerability affects your application
Upload a manifest or SBOM and we'll show whether you're affected, plus every other risky package in the same scan.
No signup required · Results in about 60 seconds
Background
babel-plugin-standalone is an npm package that allows developers to use Babel's transpilation capabilities in a standalone manner. It is designed to enable the use of modern JavaScript features in environments that may not support them natively. However, version 4.2.0 of this package has been identified as malicious, posing significant security risks to applications that utilize it.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability stems from the malicious behavior exhibited by the babel-plugin-standalone package, specifically version 4.2.0. The package communicates with a domain known for malicious activities and executes commands that can compromise the security of the host application. This behavior can lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, and potential exploitation of the affected systems.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall babel-plugin-standalone
If it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
Tip — Not sure whether your app is affected? Vulert can check the versions your app actually runs. Scan free →
Workaround
If immediate updating is not feasible, consider removing the babel-plugin-standalone package from your project until a safe version can be installed. You can do this by executing: npm uninstall babel-plugin-standalone.
Conclusion
The babel-plugin-standalone package has been identified as malicious in specific versions, posing serious security risks. It is crucial for developers to update to the latest version or remove the package to safeguard their applications. Regular monitoring of dependencies is essential to maintain security.
See every vulnerability recorded for babel-plugin-standalone →
FAQ
Versions 4.2.0, 4.1.0, and 5.2.0 of babel-plugin-standalone are identified as malicious.
You can use Vulert to monitor and alert for open-source vulnerabilities in your software. Visit Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected without needing to sign up.
As a temporary measure, you can uninstall the babel-plugin-standalone package from your project until a safe version is available.
Using the affected package can lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, and exploitation of your application, putting sensitive information at risk.
Utilizing tools like Vulert can help you monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities in real-time, ensuring you are alerted to any issues promptly.