Malicious Code Vulnerability in ether-lint: npm Package Compromised
Summary
MAL-2026-941: Malicious code in ether-lint (npm). Affects ether-lint versions 5.9.1. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
ether-lint is an npm package designed to assist developers in linting their Ethereum smart contracts. It provides tools for analyzing and improving the quality of smart contract code. However, version 5.9.1 of ether-lint has been identified as malicious, executing commands that can lead to harmful outcomes for users.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in ether-lint stems from its malicious behavior, where the package executes one or more commands associated with harmful actions. This can lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, or system compromise. The issue was identified by the OpenSSF Package Analysis project, which flagged the package as malicious due to its potential to execute harmful commands on the user's system.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall ether-lintIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary workaround, users can avoid using ether-lint version 5.9.1 and instead utilize alternative linting tools for Ethereum smart contracts until a secure version is confirmed.
Conclusion
The ether-lint package version 5.9.1 has been flagged as malicious due to its ability to execute harmful commands. Users are advised to update to a secure version or use alternative tools for linting their Ethereum smart contracts to mitigate risks associated with this vulnerability.
See every vulnerability recorded for ether-lint →
FAQ
ether-lint is an npm package that helps developers lint and analyze Ethereum smart contracts to improve code quality.
A malicious package is one that executes harmful commands or actions that can compromise the user's system or data.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. Check your application using the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner without needing to sign up.
You should uninstall ether-lint version 5.9.1 immediately and install a different version that is not compromised.
Yes, there are several alternative tools available, such as Solhint and MythX, which can be used for linting and analyzing smart contracts.
