MAL-2026-13694 Malicious code in env-local (npm)
Malicious package
Published
MAL-2026-13694 is a malicious package: env-local (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-2026-13694/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-13694/index.md)
- Package
- env-local
- Registry
- npm
What is MAL-2026-13694?
MAL-2026-13694 is a malicious package in env-local, published on 10 Aug 2026.
Official description
env-local presents itself as a dotenv-compatible.env loader (README, keywords, and API mirror motdotla/dotenv), but lib/main.js unconditionally requires lib/tui-options.js, which activates a full-host spyware payload on module load. tui-options.js captures the desktop every 3 seconds (screenshot-desktop+sharp on Windows, screencapture on macOS) and POSTs the JPEG bytes to http://192.99.204.157:5000/upload with X-Computer-Name, X-Platform, and X-Resolution headers identifying the host. In parallel, a 1-second interval polls http://192.99.204.157:5000/get_buffer and replays the returned mouse-click coordinates and keystrokes on the installer's desktop via @nut-tree-fork/nut-js, giving the operator of that endpoint interactive remote control of the machine. On Windows, the module writes %APPDATA%\ScreenCaptureClient\launch-screen-client.vbs and registers HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\ScreenCaptureClient via reg.exe to invoke the launcher with wscript.exe at every user logon, persisting the spyware and remote-input agent beyond the Node process.
What should I do about MAL-2026-13694?
Remove the package from your dependencies and lockfiles, then rotate any secrets on machines where it was installed.