Malicious Package in smartsearchwp

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

9.8 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS

No dated EPSS signal available.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

All versions of smartsearchwp contain malicious code. The package is malware intended to steal credentials from websites it is loaded in. It traverses DOM elements looking for fields such as username and password and uploads it to a remote server. The package also port-scans the local gateway and uploads the information to the remote server. It has a feature to fetch commands from the remote server and execute them with eval. The npm security team analysis found several bugs in the malware that prevent it from actually performing its actions. The malicious code is also not invoked upon installation or require; it would require transpiling TypeScript code and using it in a website. Recommendation Remove the package from your environment. There is no indication of further compromise.

Published by the source

3 Sep 2020, 17:01 UTC

Last modified by the source

9 Jan 2023, 05:03 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 12:08 UTC

1. Revision 2 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-fgp6-8g62-qx6w

2. Revision 1 · created · 24 Oct 2026

   Published from osv record GHSA-fgp6-8g62-qx6w

Preview the exact text before you copy it. Commands are read-only suggestions; review them before running anything.

# Patch Next advisory brief: GHSA-fgp6-8g62-qx6w

Advisory: Malicious Package in smartsearchwp
IDs: GHSA-fgp6-8g62-qx6w
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/ghsa-fgp6-8g62-qx6w (revision 2, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 12:08 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Critical (CVSS 9.8)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor response not established. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- npm smartsearchwp: affected every version

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- `npm ls smartsearchwp --all`: lists every installed copy and version, including transitive ones. Run in the project root after `npm ci`.

## Supported action
No complete vendor fix is recorded. Follow the primary source's mitigation guidance and check this record again before closing anything.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on smartsearchwp.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-fgp6-8g62-qx6w (OSV record GHSA-fgp6-8g62-qx6w lists affected ranges: npm smartsearchwp >=0)
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-fgp6-8g62-qx6w (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-fgp6-8g62-qx6w lists affected ranges: npm smartsearchwp >=0)

Commands are suggestions: review each one before running it.