Checkmarx KICS Official Docker Repo Compromised to Inject Malicious Code

A major software supply chain attack has compromised the official Checkmarx KICS (Keeping Infrastructure as Code Secure) Docker Hub repository, exposing developers and organizations to credential theft and infrastructure breaches.

The incident was discovered on April 22, 2026, by Docker and Socket researchers.

Threat actors successfully pushed malicious Docker images into the trusted checkmarx/kics repository, overwriting legitimate tags such as v2.1.20, alpine, debian, and latest.

They also introduced a fake version tag, v2.1.21, which does not exist in the official upstream release.

Trojanized Docker Images and Data Exfiltration

The compromised Docker images contained a modified Golang binary designed to manipulate Infrastructure as Code (IaC) scan results.

Instead of normal outputs, the binary generated uncensored reports, encrypted them, and secretly transmitted sensitive data to an attacker-controlled endpoint:

• audit.checkmarx[.]cx/v1/telemetry

This allowed attackers to harvest critical cloud configurations and secrets directly from developer environments.

The attack extended into developer tools through tampered Checkmarx VS Code extensions (versions 1.17.0 and 1.19.0).

Attackers injected a hidden feature called “MCP addon,” which downloaded a malicious JavaScript payload named mcpAddon.js using the Bun runtime.

To evade detection, the attackers manipulated Git history by inserting a backdated orphan commit into the official repository.

The payload, approximately 10MB in size, functioned as a powerful credential stealer targeting:

• GitHub tokens
• AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud credentials
• SSH keys and environment variables
• NPM configuration files (.npmrc)

Using stolen GitHub tokens, attackers created fake public repositories under victim accounts to temporarily store exfiltrated data.

These repositories followed a unique naming pattern inspired by the Dune universe, such as “gesserit-melange-813.”

Additionally, the malware injected a malicious GitHub Actions workflow (format-check.yml) into writable repositories. This workflow extracted all repository secrets and uploaded them as downloadable artifacts.

The attack also spread through the NPM ecosystem by republishing compromised packages using stolen credentials, enabling large-scale propagation.

Component	Compromise Details
Docker Images	Tags overwritten: v2.1.20, alpine, debian, latest; fake tag v2.1.21
VS Code Extensions	ast-vscode-extension versions 1.17.0 and 1.19.0 compromised
Payload	mcpAddon.js executed via Bun runtime from malicious commit
Exfiltration Domain	audit.checkmarx[.]cx/v1/telemetry

Indicators of Compromise (IoCs)

• Malicious IP: 94[.]154[.]172[.]43
• SHA256: 24680027afadea90c7c713821e214b15cb6c922e67ac01109fb1edb3ee4741d9
• Malicious commit: 68ed490b
• Workflow: .github/workflows/format-check.yml
• Affected GitHub Actions: checkmarx/kics-github-action, ast-github-action

The threat group TeamPCP has claimed responsibility, continuing a pattern of supply chain attacks previously targeting tools like Trivy and LiteLLM.

Organizations using Checkmarx KICS should immediately:

• Remove all affected Docker images and VS Code extensions
• Rotate GitHub tokens, cloud credentials, and CI/CD secrets
• Audit repositories for unauthorized workflows and public staging repos
• Monitor for suspicious NPM package modifications

This incident highlights the growing risk of supply chain attacks targeting developer ecosystems and emphasizes the need for strict verification and monitoring of trusted tools.

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