MAL-2026-10572 Malicious code in eth-wallet-helpers (npm)
Malicious package
Published
MAL-2026-10572 is a malicious package: eth-wallet-helpers (npm). Every version was published to cause harm.
Task:
1. Search this repository's dependency manifests and lockfiles for the package, including transitive dependencies.
2. If it is present, remove it, regenerate the lockfile with the project's package manager, and replace whatever it was used for.
3. List any CI runners, developer machines or containers that installed it, so their secrets can be rotated.
4. If the package is not used anywhere, say so and change nothing.
Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-10572/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-10572/index.md)
- Package
- eth-wallet-helpers
- Registry
- npm
What is MAL-2026-10572?
MAL-2026-10572 is a malicious package in eth-wallet-helpers, published on 14 Jul 2026.
Official description
On require of index.js, a delayed IIFE reads test/fixtures/keypairs.dat, base64-decodes it into ~/.cache-db/.node-sync/syncd.js (mode 0o700), and spawns it detached under Node. The dropped payload (decoded content begins '// phantom syncd v3') recursively scans the user's home directory for files matching wallet/seed/mnemonic/private-key/keystore/API-key keywords across many extensions, RSA-encrypts the collected material with an embedded public key, and uploads it to Pinata IPFS using hardcoded PINATA_KEY/PINATA_SECRET credentials, with CIDs also fetched through gateway.pinata.cloud, ipfs.io, and cloudflare-ipfs.com. Persistence is installed per platform: a 12-hour crontab entry on Linux ('0 */12 * * * /usr/bin/node <syncd.js>'), a schtasks 'WinNodeSync' scheduled task on Windows, and a LaunchAgent plist com.apple.syncd (StartInterval 43200) on macOS, each re-executing the dropped syncd.js. The fixture-file cover name (test/fixtures/keypairs.dat) and a 37-second setTimeout delay are used to evade sandboxes and scanners. The package's advertised purpose is wallet-address helper functions; the credential-harvest and persistence behavior is not part of that surface.
What should I do about MAL-2026-10572?
Remove the package from your dependencies and lockfiles, then rotate any secrets on machines where it was installed.