Malicious Code in Oathkeeper (npm)

oathkeeper Updated 02 Oct 2025

Summary

01/11/2023
CRITICAL
No i
Critical
Not published

MAL-2023-8427: Malicious code in oathkeeper (npm). Affects oathkeeper versions 1.0.1 – 1.0.3. No fix is published. How to fix ↓

Free scan

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.

Check my app free

No signup required · Results in about 60 seconds

Upload your dependency manifest or SBOM

Drag & drop your file here or

Java Javascript PHP Python Go Rust Ruby Dart C/C++ Elixir CycloneDX SPDX

Upload a supported dependency manifest or SBOM. No installation or source-code access required.

See supported files and SBOM formats
SBOM sbom.json · bom.json · bom.xml · *.spdx.json · *.cdx.json · *.cdx.xml
Java pom.xml · gradle.lockfile · buildscript-gradle.lockfile
Javascript package-lock.json · yarn.lock · pnpm-lock.yaml
PHP composer.lock
Python poetry.lock · requirements.txt · Pipfile.lock
Go go.mod
Rust Cargo.lock
Ruby Gemfile.lock
Dart pubspec.lock
C/C++ conan.lock
Elixir mix.lock
Enter your work email to receive your report link.

Verify your email to view the full report and start 30 days of continuous monitoring. No credit card required.

Sponsored Devnack Penetration testing for web, API and mobile Manual testing by engineers who build software, not an auditor's checklist. Trusted by teams at Swift and Google Talk to Devnack

Background

Oathkeeper is an npm package that provides functionality for managing authentication and authorization in web applications. It is commonly used to secure APIs and enforce access control policies. However, the package has been identified as containing malicious code, which poses a significant security risk to applications that depend on it.

Vulnerability Detail

The malicious code in Oathkeeper allows the package to execute one or more commands associated with malicious behavior. This can lead to various security issues, including unauthorized access, data breaches, and remote code execution. The specific commands executed by the package are not disclosed in the vulnerability details, but it is crucial to address this issue promptly to prevent potential harm to the application and its users.

How To Fix

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

npm uninstall oathkeeper

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

Unfortunately, there is no known workaround for this vulnerability. Removing the affected version of Oathkeeper and updating to a safe version is the only reliable solution.

Conclusion

The presence of malicious code in Oathkeeper (npm) poses a significant security risk to applications that depend on it. It is crucial to promptly remove the affected version and update to a safe version to mitigate the risk of unauthorized access, data breaches, and remote code execution. Conducting a security audit of your application is also recommended to ensure no other malicious packages or code are present. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.

See every vulnerability recorded for oathkeeper →

Share this vulnerability

FAQ

You can use the Vulert Playground (https://vulert.com/scanner) to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability. Simply upload your package-lock.json file, and Vulert will analyze it in real-time to identify any open-source vulnerabilities, including this one.

The malicious code in Oathkeeper can lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, and remote code execution. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to gain control over your application, steal sensitive data, or perform malicious actions on behalf of authenticated users.

Specific exploits targeting this vulnerability have not been disclosed in the provided details. However, it is essential to assume that attackers are actively looking for ways to exploit this vulnerability. Therefore, it is crucial to address it promptly to mitigate the risk.

The vulnerability details do not mention whether a patched version of Oathkeeper has been released. It is recommended to check the official npm registry or the package's GitHub repository for any updates or security advisories from the maintainer.

If your application is affected by this vulnerability, you should immediately remove the affected version of Oathkeeper from your dependencies and update to a safe version. Additionally, consider conducting a thorough security audit to ensure no other malicious packages or code are present in your application.

How To Fix

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

npm uninstall oathkeeper

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 →

Subscribe to Vulert on Telegram
Daily digest of new CVEs, critical and high severity, affected packages and fixes — plus a weekly roundup.
Join the channel →
Help improve this record
Report an issue or send feedback