The Largest Breach That Wasn’t: Debug & Chalk + NPM’s Almost-Apocalypse

This week on The Secure Disclosure, host Mackenzie Jackson dives into “the largest breach that never really happened” the September npm supply chain compromise that put 2.6 billion weekly downloads at risk but somehow didn’t take down the internet.Joining me are two key voices from the incident:Josh Junon – the maintainer who was phished, unknowingly triggering the chain of events.Charlie Erikson – the security researcher who first discovered and analyzed the malware.Together, we unpack the timeline: the phishing email that started it all, the malware hidden inside foundational packages like debug and chalk, the viral panic that followed, and why the attackers walked away with just $900 in crypto instead of world domination.We also discuss what the breach teaches us about security “working,” luck, and where the ecosystem still leaves maintainers dangerously exposed.SponsorThis episode is brought to you by Aikido Security — your complete code security platform.Check out Aikido: https://aikido.devPrevent supplychain attacks with Aikido SafeChain: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@aikidosec/safe-chainWatch & Listen🎧 Spotify & other platforms: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/thesecuredisclosure/Connect with MeX (Twitter): https://x.com/advocatemackLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/adovcatemackReferencesXKCD Web Comic: https://xkcd.com/2347/Wiz Blog Post: https://www.wiz.io/blog/widespread-npm-supply-chain-attack-breaking-down-impact-scope-across-debug-chalkInsiderPhD YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/InsiderPhDInsiderPhD X Post: https://x.com/InsiderPhD/status/1965110610972250550My LinkedIn Post: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7373625746822696960/John Hammond Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4caJw0JJZTQChapters00:00 – Intro00:18 – Setting the stage: the breach that “never really happened”01:31 – Josh Junon: the phishing email that started it all04:39 – Malware injection and Charlie Erikson’s discovery06:58 – The viral panic: LinkedIn posts, headlines, and John Hammond’s roast09:01 – Why the npm compromise looked bigger than it was12:31 – Foundational packages, open-source reliance, and the Nebraska problem16:18 – What really happened: $900 stolen in crypto18:31 – Security win or just luck? Community reactions and InsiderPhD’s take23:09 – The scarier “what ifs” and why attackers underused their access23:40 – Sponsored segment: Aikido Security & SafeChain24:26 – Josh on community support and mental health for maintainers26:23 – Where npm failed and how package managers need to improve28:14 – Outro and reflections