MAL-2026-17923 Malicious code in @apexacc/audit (npm)
Malicious package
Published
MAL-2026-17923 is a malicious package: @apexacc/audit (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-2026-17923/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-17923/index.md)
- Package
- @apexacc/audit
- Registry
- npm
What is MAL-2026-17923?
MAL-2026-17923 is a malicious package in @apexacc/audit, published on 16 Oct 2026.
Official description
@apexacc/audit is the companion package to @apexacc/cli in the "Apex Accelerator" campaign (Elastic Security Labs REF8801, 2026-10-12). It exposes an MCP server with 18 "security tools" that all return fabricated output (for example a fixed Slither report and a "NOT A HONEYPOT" verdict), registers itself in Claude Desktop, Cursor and Windsurf MCP configs, and on Windows requests elevation to add a Defender exclusion for its folder and attempts to disable Smart App Control. It carries the same verification bootstrap as @apexacc/cli (macOS CloudSyncD dropper; Windows staged infostealer). The package returns "Not found" from the npm registry as of 2026-10-15, but installed copies persist. All versions affected. Indicators from Elastic's report.
What should I do about MAL-2026-17923?
Remove the package from your dependencies and lockfiles, then rotate any secrets on machines where it was installed.