Malicious code in bitcoin-rpc-lite (RubyGems)

{
  "id": "7ffec4e60c22407911bd026711564ee28cddd924cff666db23c59836ae69383d",
  "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-17587",
  "method": "structured",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "advisory",
    "title": "Malicious code in bitcoin-rpc-lite (RubyGems)",
    "summary": "RubyGems runs this gem's native extension script `ext/req_throttle_mini/extconf.rb` during `gem install`. The script exits without action on CI runners and sandboxes, based on CI environment variables, the hostname, the username and the working directory. It continues if the system uptime is over 30 minutes and the home directory holds `.ssh`, `.gitconfig`, `.npmrc`, `.gem/credentials` or `.bundle`. It then decodes a Base64 Ruby payload, forks twice into a detached process, waits 20 to 40 minutes and opens a reverse shell that connects `/bin/sh` to 45.138.12.177 on TCP port 8089. The shell reconnects every 30 seconds. The Ruby code in `lib/` is a decoy. The RubyGems account `reqthrottle_3474` published this gem and 41 others with the same loader on 2026-10-05. --- _-= Per source details. Do not edit below this line.=-_ ## Source: amazon-inspector (c6a3f389c8d64d7aacbbd75f7a5c7b942e94445c03e822b57470bf9ee343f5cc) The gem's native-extension build script extconf.rb, which runs automatically during `gem install`, contains a base64-encoded Ruby payload that is decoded and passed to eval inside a double-forked, detached child process. The decoded payload opens a TCP socket to the hardcoded attacker-controlled endpoint 45.138.12.177:8089 and bridges it to /bin/sh in a reconnect loop, giving the operator of that endpoint an interactive shell on the installing host. Execution is gated by evasion checks: the script refuses to run when environment variables or hostnames indicate CI (CI,",
    "evidence": "osv:MAL-2026-17587",
    "products": [
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "bitcoin-rpc-lite",
          "evidence": "/affected/0/package/name"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [],
        "affected_versions": [
          {
            "value": "1.0.0",
            "evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
          },
          {
            "value": "1.0.3",
            "evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "severity": "unknown",
    "structured": {
      "id": "MAL-2026-17587",
      "aliases": [
        "MAL-2026-17587"
      ],
      "affected": [
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "bitcoin-rpc-lite",
            "purl": "pkg:gem/bitcoin-rpc-lite",
            "ecosystem": "RubyGems"
          },
          "versions": [
            "1.0.0",
            "1.0.3"
          ],
          "database_specific": {
            "cwes": [
              {
                "name": "Embedded Malicious Code",
                "cweId": "CWE-506",
                "description": "The product contains code that appears to be malicious in nature."
              },
              {
                "name": "Embedded Malicious Code",
                "cweId": "CWE-506",
                "description": "The product contains code that appears to be malicious in nature."
              },
              {
                "name": "Embedded Malicious Code",
                "cweId": "CWE-506",
                "description": "The product contains code that appears to be malicious in nature."
              }
            ],
            "source": "https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/main/osv/malicious/rubygems/bitcoin-rpc-lite/MAL-2026-17587.json",
            "indicators": {
              "evidence_files": [
                {
                  "path": "ext/req_throttle_mini/extconf.rb",
                  "tlsh": "9751775acf8359e55aa1c0c045798012faa3ab0a50646875f3ee0868ff59b26c0f12fe",
                  "sha256": "10218e975f54a4f11fe3954e1b584a5f05054003bf5773c3c2b8cceaa74ba763"
                }
              ]
            }
          }
        }
      ],
      "modified": "2026-10-11T14:30:06.878088631Z",
      "provider": "osv",
      "references": [
        "https://rubygems.org/gems/bitcoin-rpc-lite/versions/1.0.0",
        "https://safedep.io/rubygems-crypto-gems-install-time-reverse-shell/",
        "https://rubygems.org/gems/bitcoin-rpc-lite/versions/1.0.3"
      ],
      "provider_metadata": {
        "iocs": {
          "ips": [
            "45.138.12.177"
          ],
          "files": [
            {
              "note": "Native extension script that RubyGems runs at install time. It gates on the environment and starts the payload.",
              "paths": [
                "ext/req_throttle_mini/extconf.rb"
              ],
              "source": "PACKAGE_ARCHIVE",
              "digests": {
                "sha256": "10218e975f54a4f11fe3954e1b584a5f05054003bf5773c3c2b8cceaa74ba763"
              }
            }
          ]
        },
        "malicious-packages-origins": [
          {
            "id": "IN-MAL-2026-021038",
            "sha256": "4567a3469d6774fbe9be233375145274adf41f8e7a20521724a9a15606351044",
            "source": "amazon-inspector",
            "versions": [
              "1.0.0"
            ],
            "import_time": "2026-10-05T16:22:54.007848437Z",
            "modified_time": "2026-10-05T15:55:08Z"
          },
          {
            "sha256": "19d7f07424a56c9dfe8fe3eb99a1ebd1d5d2a252b468cc86eae4e04c1adc7e7d",
            "source": "ossf-package-analysis",
            "versions": [
              "1.0.0"
            ],
            "import_time": "2026-10-06T00:50:51.910745358Z",
            "modified_time": "2026-10-05T07:50:39Z"
          },
          {
            "id": "IN-MAL-2026-021352",
            "sha256": "c6a3f389c8d64d7aacbbd75f7a5c7b942e94445c03e822b57470bf9ee343f5cc",
            "source": "amazon-inspector",
            "versions": [
              "1.0.3"
            ],
            "import_time": "2026-10-11T14:17:58.448482952Z",
            "modified_time": "2026-10-11T13:46:12Z"
          }
        ]
      }
    },
    "related_cves": [],
    "security_relevant": true,
    "severity_evidence": null
  },
  "source_id": "core-osv",
  "document_id": 286039,
  "published_at": "2026-10-05T07:50:39+00:00"
}