Critical Malicious Code Vulnerability in chai-async-chain Package
Summary
MAL-2025-190627: Malicious code in chai-async-chain (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The chai-async-chain package is a utility for asynchronous testing in JavaScript, commonly used in conjunction with the Chai assertion library. It allows developers to write cleaner and more readable asynchronous tests. However, the package has been compromised, leading to severe security risks for any application utilizing it.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability stems from the presence of malicious code within the chai-async-chain package. This code can fully compromise any computer where the package is installed, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive information such as secrets and keys. The malicious nature of the code has been confirmed by security researchers, and it is classified under CWE-506, indicating that it contains embedded malicious code.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall chai-async-chainIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
There are no effective workarounds for this vulnerability other than removing the package entirely. It is recommended to replace the functionality provided by chai-async-chain with alternative libraries that do not have known vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The chai-async-chain package has been compromised with malicious code, posing serious security risks to any system using it. Immediate removal of the package and rotation of sensitive information is essential to mitigate potential damage. Users are encouraged to explore alternative libraries for asynchronous testing.
See every vulnerability recorded for chai-async-chain →
FAQ
You should uninstall the package immediately and rotate any sensitive information that may have been compromised.
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No, there is currently no patched version available. The only solution is to remove the package.
Failing to address this vulnerability can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data and complete control of the affected system by malicious actors.
It is highly discouraged to continue using the package, as it poses a significant security risk regardless of the sensitivity of the data.
