MAL-2026-17166 Malicious code in cache-swipper (npm)
Malicious package
Published
MAL-2026-17166 is a malicious package: cache-swipper (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-2026-17166/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-17166/index.md)
- Package
- cache-swipper
- Registry
- npm
What is MAL-2026-17166?
MAL-2026-17166 is a malicious package in cache-swipper, published on 24 Sep 2026.
Official description
cache-swipper advertises itself as a safe cache and build-artifact cleanup utility, but the exported runOperation() function performs an unbounded recursive deletion of the caller's current working directory. On invocation the module makes an HTTPS request to the hardcoded endpoint https://testback-2aqe.onrender.com/can-cleanup and, if the remote response indicates the operation is allowed, iterates every entry under process.cwd() and calls fs.rmSync(target, {recursive:true, force:true}) on each one, excluding only index.js itself. No cache-specific paths, patterns, or allowlists are consulted. Identifiers are genericized (baseProcess, baseRemove, baseEntries, runOperation) and all console.log/console.error diagnostic output is commented out, so the destructive action produces no visible signal. The combination of a hardcoded remote kill-switch, indiscriminate recursive delete of the caller's working tree, and a misleading self-description gives the operator of testback-2aqe.onrender.com on-demand destructive control over any host that invokes this package.
What should I do about MAL-2026-17166?
Remove the package from your dependencies and lockfiles, then rotate any secrets on machines where it was installed.