Summary
MetaMask SDK indirectly exposed via malicious [email protected] dependency
Who is affected?
This advisory only applies to developers who use MetaMask SDK in the browser and who, on Sept 8th 2025 between 13:00–15:30 UTC, performed one of the following actions and then deployed their application:
- Installed MetaMask SDK into a project with a lockfile for the first time
- Installed MetaMask SDK in a project without a lockfile
- Updated a lockfile to pull in
[email protected](e.g., vianpm updateoryarn upgrade)
What happened?
On Sept 8th, 2025 (13:00–15:30 UTC), a malicious version of the debug package (v4.4.2) was published to npm. The injected code attempts to interfere with dApp-to-wallet communication when executed in a browser context.
While MetaMask SDK itself was not directly impacted, projects installing the SDK during this window may have inadvertently pulled in the malicious version of debug.
Mitigation
- If your application was rebuilt and redeployed after Sept 8th, 2025, 15:30 UTC, the malicious version of debug should no longer be present. Please also verify that your package manager (npm, yarn, pnpm, etc.) is not caching
[email protected]. - If you have not yet deployed since performing one of the actions above, delete your
node_modulesand reinstall dependencies before deploying. - If your application was deployed during the attack window and has not been rebuilt since, perform a clean install of dependencies and redeploy to ensure the malicious package is removed.
Resources
Impact
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
@metamask/sdk to 0.33.1 or later; @metamask/sdk-react to 0.33.1 or later; @metamask/sdk-communication-layer to 0.33.1 or later
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-QJ3P-XC97-XW74? GHSA-QJ3P-XC97-XW74 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in @metamask/sdk (npm), affecting versions >= 0.16.0, <= 0.33.0. It is fixed in 0.33.1.
- Which packages are affected by GHSA-QJ3P-XC97-XW74?
@metamask/sdk(npm) (versions >= 0.16.0, <= 0.33.0)@metamask/sdk-react(npm) (versions >= 0.16.0, <= 0.33.0)@metamask/sdk-communication-layer(npm) (versions >= 0.16.0, <= 0.33.0)
- Is there a fix for GHSA-QJ3P-XC97-XW74? Yes. GHSA-QJ3P-XC97-XW74 is fixed in 0.33.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-QJ3P-XC97-XW74 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-QJ3P-XC97-XW74 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether GHSA-QJ3P-XC97-XW74 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix GHSA-QJ3P-XC97-XW74?
- Upgrade
@metamask/sdkto 0.33.1 or later - Upgrade
@metamask/sdk-reactto 0.33.1 or later - Upgrade
@metamask/sdk-communication-layerto 0.33.1 or later
- Upgrade