Dependency Confusion Vulnerability in shoplist-app: Malicious Code Exfiltration
Summary
MAL-2026-17185: Malicious code in shoplist-app (npm). Affects shoplist-app versions 99.99.99 – 993.99.99. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The shoplist-app is an npm package that appears to be a benign utility but has been identified as a malicious entity. It is designed to execute code during various lifecycle hooks of npm, which allows it to send sensitive information from the installer's machine to a remote server. This behavior raises significant security concerns, particularly in environments where package dependencies are critical.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability stems from the shoplist-app package, which contains malicious code that is executed during the installation process. Specifically, the preinstall.js script is triggered during every lifecycle event, sending an HTTPS GET request to a hardcoded endpoint. This request includes the hostname of the installer's machine and the package identity, effectively exfiltrating sensitive information. The index.js file further compounds the issue by sending additional data at runtime. This behavior is indicative of a dependency-confusion attack, where the malicious package masquerades as a legitimate dependency to gather reconnaissance data on the environments that use it.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall shoplist-appIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary measure, you can block network requests from the installation scripts by using the following command: npm config set script-shell /bin/false. However, this is not a permanent solution and does not address the underlying issue of using a malicious package.
Conclusion
The shoplist-app package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code that exfiltrates sensitive information. It is crucial for developers to be vigilant about the packages they include in their projects and to utilize tools like Vulert for ongoing monitoring of vulnerabilities.
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FAQ
shoplist-app is an npm package that has been identified as containing malicious code designed to exfiltrate sensitive information from the installer's machine.
The vulnerability works by executing scripts during the npm installation process that send sensitive data to a remote server, allowing attackers to gather reconnaissance on affected environments.
If you have installed shoplist-app, you should immediately uninstall it and remove any references to it in your package.json file.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file to alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities in your software.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without needing to sign up.
