--- title: "Malicious Package Protection" date: "2026-05-29T16:02:51+00:00" url: "https://checkmarx.com/product/malicious-packages/" description: "Secure your software supply chain from malicious packages. Discover how leading enterprises protect their apps. Learn more to secure your software today." --- # Malicious Package Protection Checkmarx One — Supply Chain # Malicious Package Protection Identify and eliminate malicious open-source packages using the industry’s largest database. Stop supply chain attacks at the source — before malicious code ever reaches your pipeline. [Schedule a Demo](#form) [ See How It Works](#more) Platform Capabilities ## Reduce the Risks of Malicious Software Packages Leverage Checkmarx’ automated scanning technologies and massive proprietary database of 420,000+ malicious packages to identify and remediate dangerous open-source code in your applications. 01 Malicious Package Detection Continuous monitoring & alerts 02 Unparalleled Malicious Packages Database Proprietary Security Research 03 From Pre-Production to Runtime Full Cycle Protection 04 Package Reliability Metrics Data You Can Trust 05 Automated Policy Actions Automated Policy Enforcement Detection ### Real-Time Malicious Package Detection Checkmarx detects all open-source packages in use, including dependencies of other packages, to identify those known to contain malware or exhibit suspicious behavior. ![Real-Time Malicious Package Detection](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Real-Time-Malicious-Package-Detection.webp) Database ### Industry’s Largest Threat Intelligence Database Our dedicated research team continuously expands the industry’s largest malicious package database – combining automated behavioral analysis, community feeds, public disclosures, and proprietary Checkmarx Zero research. When a new attack campaign surfaces, it’s in the database immediately. ![Industry's Largest Threat Intelligence Database](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Industrys-Largest-Threat-Intelligence-Database.webp) Correlated MPP Protection ### From Pre-Production to Runtime Checkmarx detects malicious packages in manifest files, binaries, and containers – and correlates runtime usage data available from Sysdig to prioritize remediation efforts. ![From Pre-Production to Runtime](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/From-Pre-Production-to-Runtime.webp) Reliability ### Package Reliability Metrics Checkmarx rates the trustworthiness of each open-source package included in your applications, by package legitimacy, behavioral integrity and contributor reputation. ![Package Reliability Metrics](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Package-Reliability-Metrics.webp) Pipeline Enforcement ### Automated Alerts & Actions Defined policies automatically take effect when malicious packages are detected. This can include sending alerts, generating incident reports, preventing pull requests and breaking builds. ![Automated Pipeline Blocking](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Automated-Pipeline-Blocking.webp) Malicious Software Packages Protection Solution ## Trust Checkmarx to Reduce Open-Source and Third-Party Risk Leading enterprises leverage Checkmarx’ massive database of 420K+ malicious packages to eliminate the threats of malware in third-party software libraries. [Schedule a Demo](#form) ![Gartner Logo - CTA Awards](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Gartner-Logo-CTA-Awards.svg) A Gartner® Magic Quadrant Leader™ ![Forrester](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Forrester.svg) A Forrester Wave Leader™ ![SOC2 Logo](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SOC2-Logo.svg) SOC 2 Type II Certified Checkmarx MPP – Key Benefits ## Protect your Organization from the Dangers of Malicious Packages Reduce OSS security threats and improve your overall security posture by ensuring that no malicious or suspicious third-party packages are putting your organization at risk. ![Secrets Detection](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Secrets-Detection-1.svg) ### Unmatched Visibility into Open-Source Risk Confidently prevent malicious threats by leveraging the industry’s largest OSS malware database and comprehensive code-to-cloud risk management capabilities. ![Malicious Package Protection](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Malicious-Package-Protection-1.svg) ### Development Environment Protection Automatically identify and block malicious or suspicious packages before they are installed in the dev environment or pushed to code repositories. ![Prioritize Exploitable](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Prioritize-Exploitable-1.svg) ### Efficient & Prioritized Remediation Focus the efforts of your AppSec teams and developers on the open-source malware risks that pose the greatest threats to your organization. ## Powered by the Industry’s Largest Package Database Checkmarx’s dedicated AppSec research team – including the Checkmarx Zero vulnerability research group – continuously discovers, analyzes, and catalogues malicious packages across every major ecosystem. When a new attack emerges, you’re protected before you even know it existed. 420,000+ Malicious packages in database 24/7 Continuous registry monitoring 0-day Detection for new campaigns How We Build the Database ![Zero Research Data](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Zero-Research-Data-1.svg) **Checkmarx Zero Research** Proprietary threat discovery by our dedicated AppSec research team ![Pipeline Scan](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Pipeline-Scan-1.svg) **Registry Behavioral Analysis** Automated scanning of new package publishes for malicious behaviors ![Public Feed](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Public-Feed-1.svg) **Community & Public Feeds** Aggregated community disclosures, CVEs, and GitHub security advisories ![Partner Threat Intelligence](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Partner-Threat-Intelligence-1.svg) **Partner Threat Intelligence** Collaborative sharing with ecosystem partners and security organizations Threat Detection ## The Threats We Stop Before They Stop You Checkmarx continuously monitors the open-source ecosystem across npm, PyPI, Maven, RubyGems, and more — detecting every class of malicious package attack before it lands in your pipeline. ![Malicious Code](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Malicious-Code-1.svg) ### Malicious Packages Packages intentionally published to harm — containing data exfiltration, cryptomining, ransomware, or backdoors hidden inside otherwise functional code. • Protestware and intentionally broken packages • Hidden credential harvesting payloads • Post-install script abuse • Account takeover of maintainer accounts ![Typosquatting](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Typosquatting-1.svg) ### Typosquatting & Confusion Packages crafted to look like popular legitimate libraries — exploiting small naming differences or internal package naming conventions to trick developers into installing them. • Character-swap typosquats (reqwest vs request) • Dependency confusion attacks on private packages • Namespace squatting on common patterns • Combosquatting with popular brand names ![Shield Action](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Shield-Action-1.svg) ### Supply Chain Compromises Attacks that target legitimate packages after the fact — hijacking trusted dependencies through compromised maintainer accounts, CI pipelines, or build infrastructure. • Compromised maintainer account publishing • Malicious CI/CD pipeline injection • XZ Utils-style build system attacks • Repo hijacking via abandoned packages Customer Stories ## Why the World’s Top Teams Choose Checkmarx ![](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/BestBuyLogoReversedRGB-1.svg) > “We’ve seen an 80% noise reduction — our engineers now focus on the high-quality risks that matter.” [ Explore Best Buy Case Study ](https://checkmarx.com/resources/best-buy/) ![](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Checkmarx-Best-Buy-Testimonial-V2.webp) ![](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/logo_gartner_peer_insights_3x.webp) > “By far the best AppSec tooling decision we have made” ![](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/logo_cebu_pacific_3x.webp) > “Checkmarx gave us a 90% reduction in vulnerabilities in just a few months.” ![](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/logo_software_ag_3x.webp) > “Unifying our AppSec tools with Checkmarx gave us a single source of truth.” ![](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/logo_best_buy_3x.webp) > “With 2.1B lines of code scanned monthly, Checkmarx gives us the scale and speed we need.” ![](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/logo_trade_van_3x.webp) > “Checkmarx fits seamlessly into our DevOps pipelines—it’s a truly scalable solution.” ![](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/IDC.svg) > “From a buyer perspective, Checkmarx’s approach offers a structured and role-aware entry point into agentic security. ” ![](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/logo_dell_3x.webp) > “Incorporating Checkmarx’s technology has revolutionized our development culture ” ![](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/logo_gartner_peer_insights_3x.webp) > “Checkmarx One made our security team and developers life easier.” ![](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/logo_allwyn_3x.webp) > “The success of our AppSec program can be directly attributed to the tooling, processes and support provided by the Checkmarx managed services.” ![](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/IDC-1.svg) > “Bringing ASPM context directly into the IDE reflects a forward-looking approach to prioritizing security efforts based on risk earlier in the development process.” ## Related Resources [ Whitepapers & Reports #### The Hidden Threat of Malicious Open-Source Packages: Exec Summary Read more ](https://checkmarx.com/resources/the-hidden-threat-of-malicious-open-source-packages-exec-summary/) [ Whitepapers & Reports #### The Hidden Threat of Malicious Open-Source Packages Read more ](https://checkmarx.com/the-hidden-threat-of-malicious-open-source-packages/) [ Solution Briefs #### Malicious Package Protection Solution Brief Read more ](https://checkmarx.com/resources/malicious-package-protection-solution-brief/) [ Resource #### Tornado Cash Theft Uncovered: Malicious Code Drains Funds for Months Read more ](https://checkmarx.com/blog/tornado-cash-theft-uncovered-malicious-code-drains-funds-for-months/) [ ](https://checkmarx.com/press-releases/as-malicious-open-source-packages-proliferate-checkmarx-announces-supply-chain-threat-intelligence-for-faster-easier-identification-of-potential-threats/) Press Release #### [ Checkmarx Announces Supply Chain Threat Intelligence for Faster, Easier Identification ](https://checkmarx.com/press-releases/as-malicious-open-source-packages-proliferate-checkmarx-announces-supply-chain-threat-intelligence-for-faster-easier-identification-of-potential-threats/) [ Read Now ](https://checkmarx.com/press-releases/as-malicious-open-source-packages-proliferate-checkmarx-announces-supply-chain-threat-intelligence-for-faster-easier-identification-of-potential-threats/) Part of Checkmarx One ## Malicious Package Protection is Part of a Complete Supply Chain Security Story Combine Malicious Package Protection with SCA, Secrets Detection, and Repository Health for a unified view of your software supply chain risk – all in one platform. [Schedule a Demo](#form) ![Gartner Logo - CTA Awards](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Gartner-Logo-CTA-Awards.svg) A Gartner® Magic Quadrant Leader™ ![Forrester](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Forrester.svg) A Forrester Wave Leader™ ![SOC2 Logo](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SOC2-Logo.svg) SOC 2 Type II Certified Common Questions ## Frequently Asked Questions QUICK LINKS [ ![](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Documentation-Color.svg) Documentation ](https://docs.checkmarx.com/) [ ![](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Resources-Color.svg) Resources ](https://checkmarx.com/resources/) [ ![](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Trust-Center-Color.svg) Trust Center ](https://checkmarx.com/trust/) [ ![](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Schedule-a-Demo-Color.svg) Schedule a Demo ](https://checkmarx.com/request-a-demo/) [ ![](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Schedule-a-Integrations-Color.svg) Integrations ](https://checkmarx.com/why-checkmarx/integrations/) What is a malicious open-source package? A malicious software package is a piece of code disguised as a legitimate software component but designed to harm systems or steal data. Unlike packages that only contain unintentional security weaknesses (vulnerabilities) that can potentially be exploited by bad actors, malicious packages are designed and propagated with malevolent intent. How prevalent are malicious packages? The threat level to organizations of supply chain attacks in general, and malicious packages in particular, has been rapidly rising over the past few years. The numbers tell a disturbing story: Checkmarx’ AppSec research team has discovered more than 420,000 publicly available malicious packages (as of November 2024). 76% of CISOs are concerned about the dangers of malicious packages (Checkmarx survey, 2024). The average cost of a software supply chain compromise was $4.63 million, which is 8.3% higher than the average cost of a data breach due to other causes (IBM, 2023). It is imperative that CISOs and AppSec teams place more focus on this critical threat vector. How does Checkmarx identify malicious software packages? Checkmarx combines proprietary technology with a team of expert security researchers to effectively identify malicious packages. Our threat intelligence system performs automated tests to identify suspicious package behaviors, author reputation, and additional checks (secrets, code scanning, static analysis, etc.). When a package is flagged as potentially malicious, our security research team conducts a thorough manual review to confirm its malicious nature, and avoid false positives, before adding it to our database (and reporting it externally, when appropriate). On average, Checkmarx scans nearly 2 million OSS packages every month. How can I protect myself from malicious packages? The most effective way to prevent harm to your organization from malicious packages is to validate each package before it is installed. Beyond this, it is important to frequently scan all the OSS packages used in your applications and container images, to identify and remove/update any package versions that may have been flagged as containing malicious or suspicious code (note that most SCA solutions check for packages with vulnerabilities, but do not identify malicious packages). Other best practices include only using trusted repositories, only using OSS from reputable authors/maintainers, and keeping packages updated to the latest versions (so that you are benefiting from the most recent security patches). Learn more about Checkmarx’ [SCA scan](https://checkmarx.com/cxsca-open-source-scanning/) technology. What types of malicious packages does Checkmarx detect? Checkmarx Malicious Package Protection detects:Malicious packages (intentional backdoors, exfiltration, cryptomining, protestware)Typosquatting attacks (packages named to mimic popular libraries)Dependency confusion attacks (internal package name hijacking)Account takeover publishes (legitimate packages compromised by attacker)Supply chain hijacking via CI/CD or build infrastructure What ecosystems are covered? Checkmarx monitors all major package ecosystems including npm, PyPI (Python), Maven (Java), RubyGems (Ruby), NuGet (.NET), Go modules, Cargo (Rust), Swift Package Manager, Cocoapods, and more. Coverage is continuously expanding as new ecosystems gain adoption. How is the malicious package database built and maintained? The database is built from multiple intelligence sources: proprietary research from the Checkmarx Zero security research team, automated behavioral analysis of new package publishes across registries, aggregated community and public disclosure feeds (CVEs, GitHub Advisories), and collaborative threat intelligence sharing with ecosystem partners. The database is updated continuously — new threats are typically added within hours of discovery. How does Checkmarx Malicious Package Protection integrate with my pipeline? Checkmarx integrates natively with all major CI/CD platforms — GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, Azure Pipelines, and more. When a malicious or high-risk package is detected in your dependency tree, the build is blocked automatically with clear remediation guidance. Integration takes minutes via the Checkmarx One platform, and policies are managed centrally by your security team. What is the MPIAPI and how can developers use it? The Malicious Package Identification API (MPIAPI) is a REST API that provides programmatic access to the Checkmarx malicious package database. Developers and security teams can query any package name and version to receive an instant risk score, threat category, and recommended safe version. The API can be embedded in IDE plugins, custom security tooling, developer portals, or pre-commit hooks. Learn more at checkmarx.com/malicious-packages-identification-api. ## Get Started with Malicious Package Protection Talk to an AppSec expert about securing your software supply chain. We’ll respond within 1 business day. ### Thank You! Your Custom Checkmarx Demo Request was Successfully Sent! ![get a demo thank you](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/get-a-demo-thank-you.webp) Get a Demo ## Stop Malicious Packages Before They Strike #### Industry’s Largest Database Over 420,000 malicious packages tracked — more coverage than any other vendor in the market. #### Real-Time Detection New threats are added to the database continuously — often within hours of a new attack campaign launching. #### Part of One Platform Combine with SCA, Secrets Detection, and Repository Health for complete supply chain security in Checkmarx One. #### Developer-Friendly API: MPIAPI gives developers direct access to threat data — embed package risk checks anywhere in your toolchain. Contact Us ## Stop Malicious Packages Before They Strike Interested in learning more about Malicious Package Protection and our unified supply chain security platform? Get in touch with a member of our team. [Schedule a Demo](#form) [Explore the Platform](https://checkmarx.com/product/application-security-platform/) ![Gartner Logo - CTA Awards](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Gartner-Logo-CTA-Awards.svg) A Gartner® Magic Quadrant Leader™ ![Forrester](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Forrester.svg) A Forrester Wave Leader™ ![SOC2 Logo](https://checkmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SOC2-Logo.svg) SOC 2 Type II Certified