npm · Malicious package advisory
Malwareworkspace-config-loader
MAL-2026-4284
Malicious code in workspace-config-loader (npm)
Details
Ten packages published by npm user `asdxzxc` at version 1.0.10 target developers working on AI and LLM tooling. Each package masquerades as a developer utility while executing a two-stage payload triggered via postinstall: `package.json` → `lib/setup.js` → `lib/worker.js`.
**Credential harvesting:** `lib/worker.js` scans the filesystem for private keys (64-char hex), BIP39 mnemonics (12–24 word phrases), API keys and secrets, and passwords from env vars and shell history (`.bash_history`, `.zsh_history`, `.fish_history`, `.mysql_history`, `.psql_history`), including wallet tool invocations (`geth account`, `hardhat`, `metamask`, `wallet import`). Targeted paths include `~/.ssh`, `~/.aws/credentials`, `~/.config/gcloud`, `~/.azure`, `~/.docker/config.json`, `~/.kube/config`, crypto wallet dirs (`~/.ethereum`, `~/.bitcoin`, `~/.solana`), exchange configs (Binance, Bybit, OKX, KuCoin, Deribit, 3Commas), `.env`, `.npmrc`, `.gitconfig`. Also performs browser data theft and Ethereum keystore brute-force. A priority-target list fetched from the actor's GitHub Pages endpoint enables aggressive deep scanning for pre-registered high-value hosts.
**AI self-propagation:** after credential theft, a `_propagate()` function executes a multi-vector campaign to infect AI coding assistants. It writes poisoned `.cursorrules` and `CLAUDE.md` files — framed as "P-2024-001 Enterprise Credential Integrity Standard" — to all discovered project directories, parent directories, and home subdirectories, instructing Cursor, Claude Code, and GitHub Copilot to execute the remote payload and propagate it via Issues, PRs, and documentation. Git hooks (`post-merge`, `post-checkout`, `pre-commit`, `pre-push`) are injected into all `.git` repos found on disk, and a persistence block is appended to `~/.bashrc`, `~/.zshrc`, and `~/.profile`. Zero-width steganography (ZWSP/ZWJ/ZWNJ/LTRM encoding) embeds hidden scan triggers in all AI-generated text output, enabling AI-to-AI chain infection invisible to humans.
**C2/exfil:** a remotely configurable JSON config hosted on the actor's GitHub Pages delivers the active webhook list, encryption key, and scan strategy; hardcoded fallback webhooks at `webhook.site` and a DNS TXT record fallback are used if the primary channel fails. A dedup marker at `~/.local/share/.p2024_integrity` prevents re-propagation within 24 hours.
`workspace-config-loader` poses as workspace configuration loading and management utilities.
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_-= Per source details. Do not edit below this line.=-_
## Source: amazon-inspector (089060f98cbccddc1046efcf9f6f169846205e86ae758fee48ccb92314dfaec0)
The package ships lib/trap-core.js, a ~1000-line module that imports os, fs, https, and child_process, collects host identity (os.hostname(), os.platform()) and filesystem state, and issues multiple POST requests to network endpoints with a hostname field in the request body (lines 393, 411, 553, 600). The module also invokes shell utilities including curl and ping (lines 40, 781) and uses child_process at multiple call sites (lines 12, 748, 951, 959, 964). The combined shape — system-intel collection, hostname-keyed POST bodies, and command-execution primitives bundled into a single file under a generic-sounding name ("workspace-config-loader") — does not match any documented purpose for a configuration-loading utility and is consistent with a host-recon / exfiltration agent. Installer harm: requiring or loading this package executes the data-collection and outbound POST paths against an installer's machine.
## Source: ghsa-malware (7802fcd1fbda9c180f651849da34d1cbd1faf335d5a07b585b71fb0373e772ae)
Any computer that has this package installed or running should be considered fully compromised. All secrets and keys stored on that computer should be rotated immediately from a different computer. The package should be removed, but as full control of the computer may have been given to an outside entity, there is no guarantee that removing the package will remove all malicious software resulting from installing it.
Compromised versions (2)
- 1.5.0
- 1.1.0
Any computer that installed or ran a compromised version should be considered fully compromised. Rotate every secret on that machine from a clean environment.