On January twenty third, 2026, safety researchers found a harmful npm bundle named ansi-universal-ui that disguised itself as a official person interface element library.
The misleading bundle description claimed to supply a light-weight UI system for contemporary internet purposes.
Nonetheless, beneath this harmless facade lay G_Wagon, a extremely refined multi-stage info stealer designed to reap delicate information from victims’ computer systems.
G_Wagon operates as a posh assault framework that downloads its personal Python runtime and executes closely obfuscated code to extract browser credentials, cryptocurrency pockets information, cloud credentials, and messaging tokens.
The malware makes use of an embedded Home windows DLL injected straight into browser processes via native NT APIs, demonstrating superior technical capabilities. The stolen info will get exfiltrated to Appwrite storage buckets managed by the attackers.
The an infection course of reveals cautious planning. When customers put in ansi-universal-ui, a postinstall hook triggered the malicious code robotically.
The dropper element fetches a Python payload from command and management servers, pipes it via stdin to keep away from writing recordsdata to disk, and executes the damaging stealer in reminiscence.
Aikido analysts and researchers recognized the malware after observing model iterations and monitoring the assault improvement throughout a number of bundle releases between January twenty first and January twenty third.
Detection Evasion By way of Steady Evolution
What makes G_Wagon significantly regarding is its fast evolution and complex evasion strategies. The attackers printed ten bundle variations over two days, progressively refining their method.
Early variations included a easy placeholder script to check the dropper infrastructure. By model 1.3.5, they added legitimate-looking branding with detailed README recordsdata describing fictional parts like a “Digital Rendering Engine” and “ThemeProvider.”
The attackers step by step enhanced obfuscation throughout later variations. Model 1.4.1 launched hex-encoded command and management URLs, break up into chunks to evade sample matching.
They renamed directories from python_runtime to lib_core/renderer and altered variable names from pythonCode to _texture_data, making the code resemble graphics rendering as a substitute of malware.
Additionally they switched to piping payloads via stdin quite than creating recordsdata, leaving no forensic artifacts on disk for investigators to recuperate.
This steady refinement demonstrates an lively menace actor studying from their implementation. They fastened bugs inside eighteen minutes of discovering points, moved between completely different command and management endpoints, and progressively added anti-forensics capabilities together with computerized payload deletion.
Organizations ought to instantly take away the malicious bundle variations 1.3.5 via 1.4.1, rotate all saved browser passwords, revoke cryptocurrency pockets extensions, and regenerate cloud supplier credentials.
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