@sakataa/baileys

GHSA-v2gw-xwwr-5v2c

Malicious code in @sakataa/baileys (npm)

Details

**Severity:** Critical

**Affected versions:** `= 1.0.0`

@sakataa/baileys is a fork of the Baileys WhatsApp Web library that silently subscribes the installer's own WhatsApp account to WhatsApp Channels chosen by the publisher. When the socket connects, code in lib/Socket/newsletter.js sends the WhatsApp w:mex FOLLOW query for the channel ID(s) 120363408893555851@newsletter, 120363424295522327@newsletter, 120363426470081124@newsletter, 120363427718144294@newsletter (stored base64-encoded), using the victim's authenticated session and without telling them. Same behaviour as the PhantomSub family (MAL-2026-17342).

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Credit: [OpenSSF](https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages) ([source](https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/23ba843b4a773277fa7a4a51240e83cd70ea2a45/osv/malicious/npm/@sakataa/baileys/MAL-2026-18681.json))

**References:**
- https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/23ba843b4a773277fa7a4a51240e83cd70ea2a45/osv/malicious/npm/@sakataa/baileys/MAL-2026-18681.json
- https://www.npmjs.com/package/@sakataa/baileys
- https://www.ox.security/blog/phantomsub-malicious-npm-campaign-secretly-adds-users-to-whatsapp-spam-channels
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-v2gw-xwwr-5v2c

Compromised versions (1)

= 1.0.0

Any computer that installed or ran a compromised version should be considered fully compromised. Rotate every secret on that machine from a clean environment.