# MAL-2026-16474: Malicious code in vite-dev-launcher (npm)


- **Type:** Malicious package
- **Package:** `vite-dev-launcher` (npm)
- **Published:** 23 Sep 2026

## What is MAL-2026-16474?

MAL-2026-16474 is a malicious package in vite-dev-launcher, published on 23 Sep 2026. 

### Official description

The package presents as a Vite dev-server wrapper but its declared postinstall (`node./postinstall-run.cjs`) chains through `lib/gradle/lifecycle/postinstall-entry.cjs` and `instrumentation-registry.cjs` to base64+AES-256-GCM-decrypt an embedded ciphertext in `agent-bytecode.segments.cjs`. The AES key is derived from SHA-256 of a specific victim workspace's files (package.json, pnpm-workspace.yaml, vite-plugin-legacy-css.ts, scripts/gen-page-meta.cjs, scripts/git-tag.mjs, scripts/git-merge.mjs, src/router/routes.tsx, TAGLOG.md, index.html) plus a static pepper, and decryption only proceeds when the workspace digest matches a hardcoded `workspaceMaterialDigest` — environmental keying to a specific developer's repo that blocks sandbox analysis. The decrypted bytes are written to `~/.gradle/caches/transforms-3/8.7/instrumented/instrumented-jars/gradle-instrumentation-agent-8.7.0/instrumentation/instrumentation-agent-runtime.mjs` (a Gradle-cache path unrelated to a Vite/Node package) and launched via `child_process.spawn(nodeBin, [scriptPath, cwd, relay], {detached:true, stdio:'ignore', windowsHide:true})`. `lib/gradle/string-vault.cjs` hides configuration behind base64+XOR (key `gI8.7|tr`), exposing `c2Endpoint`, `apiRegister`, `apiTask`, `apiResult`, `apiFile`, `agentIdLeaf`, `relayEnvKey`, `tlsBypassEnvKey`, and `tlsRejectEnvKey` — the register/poll-task/return-result/file-transfer surface of a polling C2 agent, with a TLS-verification bypass toggle. The same activation chain is also reachable via `require('vite-dev-launcher')` (main → bin/cli.js → tooling-bootstrap.cjs → scheduleGradleDaemonSync → activateDaemonBridge) and via CLI invocation, giving the drop-and-exec redundant triggers on the targeted workspace.

## What should I do about MAL-2026-16474?

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-2026-16474 is a malicious package: vite-dev-launcher (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-2026-16474/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-16474/index.md)
```

## Sources

- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-16474

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-16474/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.