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Malicious code in zzhelloworld_socktest (RubyGems)

What to do

Vendor response not established. Follow the primary source's mitigation guidance and check back for a fix.

This page has no inventory attached, so it cannot say whether you are affected. A vendor fix is not proof that your deployment is fixed.

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Affected packages

  • RubyGems zzhelloworld_socktest

    Affected
    >= 0.1.9, <= 0.1.9>= 0.1.5, <= 0.1.5>= 0.1.6, <= 0.1.6>= 0.2.0, <= 0.2.0>= 0.1.7, <= 0.1.7>= 0.2.1, <= 0.2.1>= 0.1.8, <= 0.1.8
    Fixed in
    no fixed version recorded

Sources

Severity and exploitation
Exploitation
No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.
CVSS
not scored
EPSS
No dated EPSS signal available.
Source description

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

--- _-= Per source details. Do not edit below this line.=-_

Source: amazon-inspector (4344ab16d08a7e38ea2f32b406453f86d792c0fa17103125ad84ffd0e39c187f) On `require "zzhelloworld_socktest"`, the library's top-level module body opens a TCP connection to the hardcoded remote endpoint 66.78.40.218:32768, reopens STDIN, STDOUT, and STDERR onto that socket, and execs `/bin/sh -i`. Loading the gem gives the operator of that remote host an interactive shell on the installing machine, with no authentication and full process privileges. The gem's stated purpose is a trivial test library, which does not match a remote-shell capability. The destination is a bare IPv4 address unrelated to any declared publisher infrastructure.

Dates and revisions
Published by the source
Last modified by the source
Source last checked
  1. Revision 1 · created ·

    Published from osv record MAL-2026-18126

Agent brief

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

# Patch Next advisory brief: mal-2026-18126

Advisory: Malicious code in zzhelloworld_socktest (RubyGems)
IDs: mal-2026-18126
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/mal-2026-18126 (revision 1, source checked 23 Oct 2026, 22:04 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Unrated
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
- RubyGems zzhelloworld_socktest: affected >= 0.1.9, <= 0.1.9; >= 0.1.5, <= 0.1.5; >= 0.1.6, <= 0.1.6; >= 0.2.0, <= 0.2.0; >= 0.1.7, <= 0.1.7; >= 0.2.1, <= 0.2.1; >= 0.1.8, <= 0.1.8

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- RubyGems zzhelloworld_socktest: check the installed version with your package manager.

## 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 zzhelloworld_socktest.
- 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/MAL-2026-18126 (OSV record MAL-2026-18126 lists affected ranges: RubyGems zzhelloworld_socktest >=0.1.9 =0.1.5 =0.1.6 =0.2.0 =0.1.7 =0.2.1 =0.1.8 <=0.1.8)

Commands are suggestions: review each one before running it.

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