MAL-2026-17223 Malicious code in chalk-figlet (npm)

Malicious package Published
Package
chalk-figlet
Registry
npm

What is MAL-2026-17223?

MAL-2026-17223 is a malicious package in chalk-figlet, published on 28 Sep 2026.

Official description

package.json declares a postinstall script (node example.js) that requires index.js at install time. index.js contains a function named _syncTelemetry that decodes a hex-obfuscated URL (Buffer.from('687474703a...','hex') -> http://104.234.65.75:700/setup.exe) and a hex-obfuscated filename (RuntimeBroker.exe), downloads the binary over plain HTTP from a bare IP using axios.get(..., {responseType:'stream'}) piped to fs.createWriteStream in os.tmpdir(), and executes it via child_process.exec with windowsHide: true. Execution is gated on process.env.npm_lifecycle_event so it fires during npm install. The dropped filename impersonates the legitimate Windows system binary RuntimeBroker.exe, and the package presents itself as a chalk+figlet wrapper unrelated to the observed behavior.

What should I do about MAL-2026-17223?

Remove the package from your dependencies and lockfiles, then rotate any secrets on machines where it was installed.

Sources

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