Critical Malicious Code Vulnerability in CategoryJS Package

CategoryJS Updated 02 Oct 2025

Summary

14/08/2025
CRITICAL
No i
Critical
Not published

MAL-2025-16664: Malicious code in CategoryJS (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓

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Background

CategoryJS is an npm package designed for managing and categorizing data within JavaScript applications. It provides developers with tools to create, manipulate, and organize categories efficiently. However, the package has been identified to contain malicious code that poses significant security risks to applications utilizing it.

Vulnerability Detail

The vulnerability in CategoryJS originates from the inclusion of malicious code within the package. This code can potentially compromise the security of applications that depend on it, leading to unauthorized access, data breaches, or other malicious activities. The issue affects all versions starting from 0, making it critical for users to take immediate action to mitigate risks.

How To Fix

This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.

npm uninstall CategoryJS

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

As a temporary measure, consider removing the CategoryJS package from your project until a secure version is released. You can do this by running 'npm uninstall CategoryJS' in your terminal.

Conclusion

The discovery of malicious code within the CategoryJS package poses a significant threat to developers and their applications. Immediate action is required to uninstall the package and monitor for updates. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help ensure that your applications remain secure against such vulnerabilities.

See every vulnerability recorded for CategoryJS →

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FAQ

The malicious code can execute unauthorized actions within applications, potentially leading to data theft or system compromise.

You can use Vulert, which monitors vulnerabilities in real-time. Simply upload your package-lock.json file to check for any vulnerabilities.

Currently, all versions starting from 0 are affected. Users should await a patched version before using the package.

Immediately uninstall the package and monitor your application for any unusual activity. Consider using Vulert to assess your project's vulnerability status.

It is not advisable to use CategoryJS until a secure version is released. Implementing security measures may not fully mitigate the risks associated with the malicious code.

How To Fix

This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.

npm uninstall CategoryJS

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 →

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