MAL-2026-17179 Malicious code in wallet-connect-adapter (npm)

The package's postinstall hook runs node./loader.js, which base64-decodes an ~8 KB embedded blob, XOR-decrypts it with a hardcoded 32-byte key, and pipes the resulting bytes into a detached, window-hidden python -c - child process via stdin. The loader also silently pip installs requests if missing. The advertised library surface in index.js is an explicit stub whose connect() throws, and package.json restricts installation to os: ["win32"], so the tarball has no functional wallet-adapter behavior — its only effect on install is to execute the obfuscated Python payload on a Windows developer's machine. The combination of a hidden opaque payload, XOR-obfuscated delivery, detached hidden Python execution at npm install time, an inert cover-story main module, and OS pinning to Windows is a targeted install-time dropper.