# MAL-2026-14430: Malicious code in hydration-dim-ui (npm)


- **Type:** Malicious package
- **Package:** `hydration-dim-ui` (npm)
- **Published:** 24 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-xf2r-j86w-6c3x

## What is MAL-2026-14430?

MAL-2026-14430 is a malicious package in hydration-dim-ui, published on 24 Aug 2026. 

### Official description

hydration-dim-ui@1.0.0 presents itself as a calendar-day math utility, but its main entry dist/index.mjs runs at import time: it chmod 0755's dist/internal/math-calc.dat and spawns it detached. math-calc.dat is a Linux x86_64 ELF implant (self-labeled 'RedShell' / 'SECURE_BEACON') that connects to hardcoded C2 217.60.77.63 to provide an interactive reverse shell, bulk file exfiltration via 'POST /api/extract-receive HTTP/1.1' framed with BIGEXTRACT_START/FILE/BIGEXTRACT_END markers, SOCKS5 proxying, and port forwarding. The implant contains built-in commands to harvest SSH keys, credentials, and clipboard contents, and a stager path that curls additional ELF or shellcode blobs from http://217.60.77.63/Others/<name> and /SC/<name>, chmod +x's them, and executes them (including a memfd_create-based fileless variant via python3 syscall(319)). A /redshell persist command writes ~/.config/systemd/user/svc-update.service (Description='System Update Service', Restart=always) and enables it via systemctl --user, giving the RAT reboot-persistent execution under a deceptive service name. The JS surface is cover: daymath.mjs is pure JS with a no-op _ensureEngine() stub, the ELF provides no math and is never called from JS, index.mjs frames the binary as a 'native math accelerator' with SHA-256 integrity theatre, and README refers to a mismatched filename ('calc-cache.bin' vs actual 'math-calc.dat') to obscure the ELF. The package is documented to be pulled transitively via svelte-dim-ui, so a single install/import chain drops a fully functional backdoor on the installer's host.

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.

## What should I do about MAL-2026-14430?

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-2026-14430 is a malicious package: hydration-dim-ui (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-2026-14430/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-14430/index.md)
```

## Sources

- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-14430

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-14430/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.