CyberRota Analysis
AI-GeneratedA critical vulnerability exists in the use-reducer-async package for React, where malicious commits executed remote attacker-controlled code on developer machines during `npm install` between May 18 and May 19, 2026. This exploit targets developer workstations by fetching and executing a JavaScript payload, potentially leading to full compromise of any accessible resources. Developers and organizations that utilized this package during the specified timeframe should prioritize immediate remediation, including credential rotation and thorough audits of affected systems.
Public Exploit Signal
A public exploit, PoC, GitHub repository or Metasploit reference was detected for this CVE.
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Original NVD Description
use-reducer-async is a React useReducer with async actions. Between 2026-05-18 16:29:52 and 2026-05-19 15:26:07, the default branch contained malicious commits da72edbde5705efcec6c62e0a3dcb73687b78dc8 through df07d5711458d8b46e11dd7afaaa21e88cafabfb that executed remote attacker-controlled code on developer machines during `npm install`. The commits were removed by force-push, but local clones, forks, and direct-SHA URLs may still contain them, and `npm install` against an affected checkout will still execute the code today. The package was not published to npm. `src/install.js` was added and wired into the `postinstall` script. It fetched a JavaScript payload from an attacker-controlled HTTPS endpoint (configurable via an environment variable), disabled TLS verification, and evaluated the response as code with `require` available. Execution was deliberately skipped on CI and cloud/serverless environments, targeting developer workstations. The second-stage payload was attacker-hosted and cannot be reconstructed. Assume full compromise of anything reachable from a Node process with the user's permissions. Those who ran `npm install` against an affected checkout on a developer machine on or after 2026-05-18 16:29:52 should treat the machine as compromised, rotate every credential the machine could reach, audit account activity since 2026-05-18 16:29:52, and clean local clones.