the WORST hack of 2026

Axios, the most popular HTTP library with over 100 million weekly downloads, was just hijacked in one of the most sophisticated supply chain attacks in history. A hacker took over the lead maintainer's npm account, injected a phantom dependency that deploys a cross-platform remote access trojan in 1.1 seconds, and the malware erases itself leaving no trace. I break down exactly how it happened, explain what a supply chain attack is, and show you how to check if YOUR system is affected. npm supply chain attack, axios hacked, axios npm compromised, supply chain attack explained, npm install malware, remote access trojan, axios 1.14.1, plain-crypto-js, npm security, javascript security, open source security, postinstall script attack, supply chain hack 2026 TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - npm install just became DANGEROUS 0:41 - How the attack happened 0:52 - What is Axios? (and why you probably have it) 1:39 - The account takeover 2:20 - The ONE line of code that did it all 3:06 - How it was discovered 3:32 - The postinstall dropper 4:08 - The RAT payload (Mac, Windows, Linux) 4:28 - The self-destruct (no evidence left) 4:40 - What IS a supply chain attack? 4:55 - The coffee analogy 5:51 - Are YOU affected? Let's check together 6:34 - Checking for the RAT on your system 6:51 - What to do if you're compromised 7:50 - Prayer 9:19 - BONUS: Pikachu explains supply chain attacks ALL COMMANDS, DETECTION SCRIPTS, IOCs, AND REMEDIATION: https://github.com/theNetworkChuck/axios-attack-guide Quick check: npm list axios npm list -g axios BAD VERSIONS: 1.14.1 and 0.30.4 SAFE VERSIONS: 1.14.0 and 0.30.3 One command that would have BLOCKED this attack: npm config set min-release-age 3 RESOURCES: Socket.dev (first to detect): https://socket.dev/blog/axios-npm-package-compromised StepSecurity deep dive: https://www.stepsecurity.io/blog/axios-compromised-on-npm-malicious-versions-drop-remote-access-trojan GitHub Issue: https://github.com/axios/axios/issues/10604 Huntress Blog: https://www.huntress.com/blog/supply-chain-compromise-axios-npm-package John Hammond Video: https://youtu.be/A58cV17avpM John Hammond Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-KpP-6Dt8E SUPPORT NETWORKCHUCK: NetworkChuck Academy: https://academy.networkchuck.com FOLLOW ME EVERYWHERE: Twitter: https://twitter.com/networkchuck Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/networkchuck TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@networkchuck Discord: https://discord.gg/networkchuck READY TO LEARN?? NetworkChuck Academy: https://academy.networkchuck.com YouTube Membership: https://www.youtube.com/networkchuck/join #npm #supplychain #cybersecurity