MAL-2026-17308 Malicious code in mfahelper (npm)

package.json declares its only runtime dependency, node-net-pool, as an https tarball pointing at the main branch of an unrelated GitHub account (https://github.com/trktgq0wbre1/node-net-pool/archive/refs/heads/main.tar.gz) — no version pin, no commit SHA, no integrity hash. npm install fetches whatever bytes currently live at that mutable URL and executes any lifecycle scripts they contain on the installer's machine. In addition, lib/cache.js runs module.require('node-net-pool') inside a swallowed try/catch at top level, so the third-party payload also loads when a consumer require()s the package, extending the code-execution surface beyond install time to any downstream import. The account owning the tarball URL is unrelated to the package publisher, so whoever controls that branch controls arbitrary code delivered to every installer.

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.