Axios NPM Compromise File Creation Indicators - MacOS

Status: experimental
Severity: high
Log source: category file_event, product macos
Author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems)
Source: github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma

Detects file creation events linked to the Axios NPM supply chain compromise on macOS devices. Axios is a popular JavaScript HTTP client. On March 30, 2026, malicious versions (1.14.1, 0.30.4) were published to npm, injecting a dependency (plain-crypto-js@4.2.1) that executed a postinstall script as a cross-platform RAT dropper.

Known false positives

Highly unlikely

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Tactic	Techniques
Initial Access	`T1195.002` Supply Chain Compromise: Compromise Software Supply Chain
Command & Control	`T1105` Ingress Tool Transfer

Telemetry coverage

Platform	Record / event type
macOS	ESF event `create` (NOTIFY): Fires after a new filesystem object (file, directory, or special file) is created.

Rule body

title: Axios NPM Compromise File Creation Indicators - MacOS
id: 2db0458c-05c9-4069-a26f-77becd9c8c13
status: experimental
description: |
    Detects file creation events linked to the Axios NPM supply chain compromise on macOS devices. Axios is a popular JavaScript HTTP client.
    On March 30, 2026, malicious versions (1.14.1, 0.30.4) were published to npm, injecting a dependency (plain-crypto-js@4.2.1) that executed a postinstall script as a cross-platform RAT dropper.
references:
    - https://www.stepsecurity.io/blog/axios-compromised-on-npm-malicious-versions-drop-remote-access-trojan
    - https://www.derp.ca/research/axios-npm-supply-chain-rat/
    - https://www.trendmicro.com/zh_hk/research/26/c/axios-npm-package-compromised.html
    - https://www.elastic.co/security-labs/axios-supply-chain-compromise-detections
    - https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/e10b1fa84f1d6481625f741b69892780140d4e0e7769e7491e5f4d894c2e0e09
author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems)
date: 2026-04-01
tags:
    - attack.initial-access
    - attack.t1195.002
    - attack.command-and-control
    - attack.t1105
    - detection.emerging-threats
logsource:
    category: file_event
    product: macos
detection:
    selection_curl_download:
        Image|endswith: '/curl'
        TargetFilename: '/Library/Caches/com.apple.act.mond'
    selection_node_shell:
        Image|endswith: '/node'
        TargetFilename: '/tmp/6202033'
    condition: 1 of selection_*
falsepositives:
    - Highly unlikely
level: high

Stages and Predicates

Stage 0: `condition`

1 of selection_*

Stage 1: `selection_curl_download`

selection_curl_download:
    Image|endswith: '/curl'
    TargetFilename: '/Library/Caches/com.apple.act.mond'

Stage 2: `selection_node_shell`

selection_node_shell:
    Image|endswith: '/node'
    TargetFilename: '/tmp/6202033'

Indicators

These rows show field, operator, and value matches.

Field	Kind	Values	Search
`Image`	ends_with	`/curl` `/node`	`field:"Image" kind:ends_with`
`TargetFilename`	eq	`/Library/Caches/com.apple.act.mond` `/tmp/6202033`	`field:"TargetFilename" kind:eq`