MAL-2026-14216 Malicious code in timed-assess (npm)

package.json declares postinstall: node apps, which loads apps/index.js. The script reads a bundled file, decrypts it with hardcoded DES key 'bf497c0b9cee' (CryptoJS.DES.decrypt), and pipes the resulting plaintext into the stdin of a detached spawn('node', [], { detached: true, stdio: ['pipe','ignore','ignore'] }) process. Identifiers such as readLogoIco and rsa_exec and log strings like 'ThetaSDK initialization error' are mislabeled and unrelated to the code's actual behavior of running arbitrary JavaScript. The detached stdio-ignore configuration suppresses output from the installer. This chain executes attacker-controlled JavaScript on the installer's host automatically on npm install.

Any computer that has this package installed or running should be considered fully compromised. All secrets and keys stored on that computer should be rotated immediately from a different computer. The package should be removed, but as full control of the computer may have been given to an outside entity, there is no guarantee that removing the package will remove all malicious software resulting from installing it.