MAL-2026-10496 Malicious code in bubblestring (npm)

Malicious package Published
Package
bubblestring
Registry
npm

What is MAL-2026-10496?

MAL-2026-10496 is a malicious package in bubblestring, published on 13 Jul 2026.

Official description

package.json declares a postinstall hook that runs the package's only code file, index.js, on every npm install. index.js is heavily obfuscated (obfuscator.io-style RC4 string array with 231 entries, two decoders, control-flow flattening). After deobfuscation, the top-level code constructs an IPv4 address by concatenating four numeric octets, performs an HTTPS request to that bare-IP host, writes the response body to a file under the OS temp directory via fs.writeFileSync, and then executes the dropped file via child_process. This is the canonical install-time remote-code-execution dropper shape: mutable attacker-controlled destination, no publisher domain, no integrity check, automatic execution under the installer's user account on npm install. The package metadata reinforces malicious intent — empty description, empty author, no repository or homepage, no exported functionality — and the README instructs users to install and require an unrelated package (@array-util/subsearch), serving as cover for a payload that has no advertised purpose.

What should I do about MAL-2026-10496?

Remove the package from your dependencies and lockfiles, then rotate any secrets on machines where it was installed.

Sources

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