The point: axios versions 1.14.1 and 0.30.4 contain malware. Affected are systems with these versions and additional npm packages. Immediate downgrade to secure versions necessary. Affected systems must be considered fully compromised.
The widely used JavaScript library axios with over 300 million weekly downloads became an attack vector through two compromised package versions. A hijacked npm account was used to distribute versions containing remote access trojans.
The JavaScript HTTP library axios became the target of a supply chain attack in early April 2026. An attacker succeeded in hijacking the npm account of a lead developer and published two malicious versions: axios@1.14.1 and axios@0.30.4.
Both versions contain a manipulated dependency called plain-crypto-js@4.2.1. This is automatically downloaded during installation and executes a platform-specific remote access trojan for macOS, Windows, and Linux. The postinstall script acts without user interaction: it connects to a command-and-control server at sfrclak.com:8000, downloads the RAT, and executes it. Afterwards, the malware overwrites itself with an inconspicuous version to complicate forensic investigations.
The damage wave extended beyond the original axios versions. Socket analyses show that additional npm packages distributed the malware transitively: the package @shadanai/openclaw contains the malicious payload directly in bundled paths, while @qqbrowser/openclaw-qbot@0.0.130 provided the manipulated axios@1.14.1 in its node_modules directory. These packages were presumably created during the attack window when the infected axios version was current.
The compromise also spread to other ecosystems: the JSII module jjrawlins-cdk-iam-policy-builder-helper (version 0.0.194) is affected on both PyPI and NuGet, as it depends on the compromised axios version.
Systems with the affected versions must be considered fully compromised. Administrators should immediately downgrade to axios@1.14.0 or axios@0.30.3 and review all affected systems. The malicious versions have since been removed from npm. This incident is part of a series of supply chain attacks on critical software packages.
Source: www.cert.at