MAL-2026-15671 Malicious code in quartz-core (npm)

On npm install, the package's preinstall hook (package.json scripts.preinstall = node index.js) executes index.js, which reads the installer's OS username (os.userInfo().username), hostname (os.hostname()), and current working directory (process.cwd()), then issues a DNS A-record query for a subdomain of the attacker-controlled domain oob.algamil7x.xyz of the form selftest.<username>.<hostname>.<cwd>.<timestamp>.oob.algamil7x.xyz via dns.Resolver.resolve4. The tarball ships no other functionality: package.json has an empty description and author, no dependencies, and no runtime code beyond the beacon. The name quartz-core at the elevated version 99.1.9 is consistent with a dependency-confusion reconnaissance probe designed to identify internal build environments where a private package name resolves to this public one.

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.