# MAL-2026-12043: Malicious code in sextant-cli-linux-arm64 (npm)


- **Type:** Malicious package
- **Package:** `sextant-cli-linux-arm64` (npm)
- **Published:** 5 Aug 2026

## What is MAL-2026-12043?

MAL-2026-12043 is a malicious package in sextant-cli-linux-arm64, published on 5 Aug 2026. 

### Official description

The package is a platform-specific leaf (linux/arm64) whose only shipped artifact is a 12 MB stripped Go binary at bin/sxt. The package.json omits repository, author, main, bin, files, and scripts fields, and its license field points at github.com/ddos798/claude_control — a self-labeled 'claude_control' project. Strings in bin/sxt reveal a full WebRTC stack (pion/webrtc/v4, pion/turn/v5, pion/ice/v4, coder/websocket, go-qrcode) plus a hardcoded signaling/relay endpoint https://relay.sextant.top/install, giving the binary the shape of a remote-control agent that pairs the installer's host to an author-controlled peer over WebRTC data channels. Adjacent strings 'sk-ant-', 'CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR', 'https://api.anthropic.com/v1/models', 'https://claude.ai/install.sh', and '@google/gemini-cli' show the binary is positioned to read Anthropic API keys and Claude Code / Gemini CLI configuration from the installer and hand them to the remote peer through the established channel. An additional string http://ip-api.com/json/ provides public-IP geolocation of the host for the remote operator. The combination of an opaque metadata-only npm manifest, a bundled native binary embedding a full peer-to-peer control stack, a hardcoded author relay, and embedded references to developer AI-credential material is a backdoor with credential-theft capability against the installer.

## What should I do about MAL-2026-12043?

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

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
MAL-2026-12043 is a malicious package: sextant-cli-linux-arm64 (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-2026-12043/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-12043/index.md)
```

## Sources

- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-12043

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-12043/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.