CVE-2017-16044
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · unedited`d3.js` was a malicious module published with the intent to hijack environment variables. It has been unpublished by npm.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceA malicious npm module named 'd3.js' (not to be confused with the legitimate D3.js data visualization library) was published to the npm registry with the intent to hijack environment variables, likely for exfiltration of secrets or credentials. The package has since been unpublished from npm.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE dataall versionsCVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Inspect package.json dependenciesOpen your project's package.json file and search for 'd3.js' in the dependencies, devDependencies, or peerDependencies sections. Also check any resolutions or overrides fields.Affected if The package name 'd3.js' appears as a dependency (note: the legitimate library is named 'd3' without a dot)
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Review package-lock.json for the malicious packageSearch the package-lock.json file for 'd3.js' as a package name. The entry will appear under the 'dependencies' or 'dependencies' section with the exact name including the dot.Affected if An entry for 'd3.js' exists in the lock file, indicating the malicious package was resolved and installed
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Check yarn.lock if presentIf your project uses Yarn, search the yarn.lock file for 'd3.js' as a package entry. Look for the exact string 'd3.js:' at the start of a dependency block.Affected if yarn.lock contains an entry for 'd3.js'
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Verify node_modules directoryCheck if a directory named 'd3.js' exists in your node_modules folder. On Unix systems: ls -la node_modules/ | grep 'd3.js'. On Windows: dir node_modules /a | findstr d3.jsAffected if A 'd3.js' folder exists in node_modules, confirming the package was installed
You are affected if 'd3.js' (with the dot) appears in any dependency manifest or was installed in node_modules; the legitimate D3.js library uses 'd3' without a dot.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataAudit all project dependency manifests (package.json, package-lock.json, yarn.lock) for the presence of this malicious d3.js package and remove it if found. Rotate any environment variables, API keys, or credentials that may have been exposed since the time of potential installation.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,456.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-16044 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2017-16044 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data