# MAL-2026-17936: Malicious code in mx3dxhgic8xhd6 (npm)


- **Type:** Malicious package
- **Package:** `mx3dxhgic8xhd6` (npm)
- **Published:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-cqch-q2w2-r565

## What is MAL-2026-17936?

MAL-2026-17936 is a malicious package in mx3dxhgic8xhd6, published on 19 Oct 2026. 

### Official description

Package mx3dxhgic8xhd6@1.0.1 is published under a random-looking short name with only two files, one of which is an index.html containing a large obfuscator.io-style JavaScript payload. The script uses hex-named identifiers (_0x...), a ~500-entry shuffled string array returned by a decoder function, a rotating-array decoder loop, and runtime atob / String.fromCharCode calls, so no destination URLs, API endpoints, or data sinks are visible as plain text. The code's actual runtime behavior (network destinations, DOM injection, redirect/clipboard/credential sinks) cannot be determined without executing or de-obfuscating the payload. The shape — nonsense package name, HTML-as-payload, heavy string/control-flow obfuscation hiding all destinations — is consistent with phishing/ClickFix-style delivery pages rather than a conventional npm library.

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.

## What should I do about MAL-2026-17936?

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

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
MAL-2026-17936 is a malicious package: mx3dxhgic8xhd6 (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-2026-17936/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-17936/index.md)
```

## Sources

- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-17936

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-17936/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.