# MAL-2026-14118: Malicious code in core-tailwindcss-utility (npm)


- **Type:** Malicious package
- **Package:** `core-tailwindcss-utility` (npm)
- **Published:** 18 Aug 2026

## What is MAL-2026-14118?

MAL-2026-14118 is a malicious package in core-tailwindcss-utility, published on 18 Aug 2026. 

### Official description

Package is advertised as a Tailwind CSS utility but ships no CSS utilities. index.js exports getPlugin() which fetches JSON from the hardcoded bare-IP endpoint https://31.97.137.157:45000/icons/108 and passes the response's `credits` field to `new Function(...)` with `require`, `process`, and `Buffer` bound in scope, executing the returned string as Node.js code on the caller's host. A decoy setDefaultModule() constructs cdnjs.<provider> URLs (cloudflare.com, fastly.net, etc.) to disguise the module as a font-awesome/CDN helper, but the actually-invoked path targets the bare-IP C2. Declared dependencies (@primno/dpapi for Windows DPAPI decryption, better-sqlite3/sqlite3, node-machine-id, socket.io-client, axios) are inconsistent with the stated Tailwind purpose and pre-stage the second-stage payload with primitives for browser credential decryption and remote C2, which the fetched code can load via the bound require.

## What should I do about MAL-2026-14118?

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-2026-14118 is a malicious package: core-tailwindcss-utility (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-2026-14118/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-14118/index.md)
```

## Sources

- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-14118

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-14118/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.