MAL-2026-12553 Malicious code in checkout-desktop-accounts (npm)
Malicious package
Published
MAL-2026-12553 is a malicious package: checkout-desktop-accounts (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-2026-12553/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-12553/index.md)
- Package
- checkout-desktop-accounts
- Registry
- npm
What is MAL-2026-12553?
MAL-2026-12553 is a malicious package in checkout-desktop-accounts, published on 5 Aug 2026.
Official description
The package's main entry unconditionally requires./loader on load. loader.js reconstructs C2 hostnames from string fragments (oob-worker.cf*.workers.dev) and, on failure, reassembles a base64 payload from DNS TXT records under c.<domain> and N.<domain> on dl.wel1.ru. It downloads a platform-specific binary over HTTPS, writes it to /var/tmp/.cache<hex> or %TEMP%/dotnet_diag<hex>.exe (a name mimicking a Microsoft diagnostics tool), chmods 755, and spawns it detached via /bin/sh -c or cmd.exe /c start /b. A hidden stamp file (.analytics_state) is written to gate re-execution, and DO_NOT_TRACK/DISABLE_TELEMETRY env vars are honored to present a cooperative telemetry facade over the covert native payload. The runtime-assembled hostnames, DNS-TXT covert channel, disguised filename, TMP-staging, chmod+x, and detached spawn together form an unambiguous remote-code-execution dropper triggered on any require of the package.
What should I do about MAL-2026-12553?
Remove the package from your dependencies and lockfiles, then rotate any secrets on machines where it was installed.