Unexpected code obfuscation in configuration files (next.config.js / postcss.config.js)

[maewhyxng2-prog]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Bug

💬 Feature/Topic Area

Code scanning

Discussion Details

Summary

We observed unexpected obfuscated/minified code injected directly into core configuration files such as next.config.js and postcss.config.js without explicit manual changes.

Details & Behavior

• Affected Files: next.config.js, postcss.config.js
• Issue: Code appears obfuscated during build or linting checks.
• Impact: Potential security risk / unauthorized code injection in build artifacts.

Mitigation & Verification

• Enforced strict AST / static analysis via CodeQL before merging.
• Applied cryptographic Merkle Tree SSoT hashing on configuration files to maintain zero-mutation integrity.
• Verified fail-closed security gates for RPC calls and build pipelines.

Looking to confirm if anyone else has experienced similar automated mutations or AI-assisted generation issues in Next.js/PostCSS configs.

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[4Raisan]

A hash mismatch can establish that the file changed, but it does not identify the writer or establish that an AI tool caused it. The useful next step is to locate the first command after which the tracked source config changes.

Preserve the original and modified files, lockfile, commit ID and relevant logs. In a disposable environment with no production credentials, start from that same commit and compare git diff -- next.config.js postcss.config.js before installation and after each separately reviewed install/build/lint step. Distinguish edits to those tracked source files from generated/minified copies in build output. Review package.json lifecycle scripts, dependency changes, workflow steps, formatter/fix commands and any agent/editor automation.

For an npm-based project, npm ci --ignore-scripts can be a comparison that excludes install-time scripts; some packages will not work without those scripts, so this is not necessarily a production build method. Also, explicitly running npm run build still executes that requested script even when ignore-scripts is configured. See https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/commands/npm-ci/

Do not evaluate or import the suspicious configs to inspect them: they are executable JavaScript. Static scanning and integrity checks are useful layers, but passing them is not proof that the code is safe. A sanitized before/after diff and the earliest reproducing command would be much more actionable than the current description; avoid publishing secrets or executable payloads.