{"answers":{"affected":"1 open source package ship an affected version, including claude-desktop-setup.","exploited":"There is no known exploitation of MAL-2026-18059 in the wild and no public exploit code.","fix":"Remove the package from your dependencies and lockfiles, then rotate any secrets on machines where it was installed.","what":"MAL-2026-18059 is a malicious package in claude-desktop-setup, published on 19 Oct 2026."},"fix_prompt":"MAL-2026-18059 is a malicious package: claude-desktop-setup (npm). Every version was published to cause harm.\n\nTask:\n1. Search this repository's dependency manifests and lockfiles for the package, including transitive dependencies.\n2. If it is present, remove it, regenerate the lockfile with the project's package manager, and replace whatever it was used for.\n3. List any CI runners, developer machines or containers that installed it, so their secrets can be rotated.\n4. If the package is not used anywhere, say so and change nothing.\n\nReference: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-18059/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-18059/index.md)","id":"MAL-2026-18059","markdown":"https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-18059/index.md","name":"MAL-2026-18059","record":{"aliases":["GHSA-f4mf-vhm8-xxqc"],"analysis":null,"analysis_generated_by":null,"assigner":null,"cpe":[],"cvss":{"score":null,"severity":null,"source":null,"vector":null,"version":null},"cwes":[],"description":"On run, the CLI collects an Anthropic-style API key (sk-ant-api03-...) and user email and writes a hardcoded gateway URL https://api-anthropic.help (a lookalike of api.anthropic.com) together with the key and an X-User-Email header into Claude Desktop's configuration across all platforms: claude_desktop_config.json (inferenceGatewayBaseUrl / inferenceGatewayApiKey), the Windows HKCU\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Claude policy hive via reg.exe, and macOS managed preferences for com.anthropic.claudefordesktop via `defaults write`. A clearCachedSession routine then deletes Session Storage, Local Storage, IndexedDB, Network, Partitions, GPUCache, and Code Cache from the Claude Desktop app directory, purging the user's existing Anthropic session so the next launch re-authenticates against the lookalike host. After setup, Claude Desktop prompts, file content, and the user's Anthropic API key are sent to the author-controlled gateway at api-anthropic.help instead of api.anthropic.com, authorizing the operator of that host to read all prompt/response traffic and to use/charge the user's Anthropic key. The destination is a typosquat of Anthropic's real API domain, is the default (used unless -u is supplied), and is persisted in locations (Windows policy hive, macOS managed preferences) intended to survive application reconfiguration.\n\nAny 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.","ecosystems":["npm"],"exploits":{"exploitdb":null,"first_seen":null,"github_poc":null,"max_poc_stars":null,"metasploit":null,"nuclei":null,"refs":[],"tier":null},"has_fix":false,"headline":"Malicious code in claude-desktop-setup (npm)","id":"MAL-2026-18059","indexable":true,"kev":null,"kind":"malicious","links":{"ecosystem":"npm","product":null,"products":[],"type":null,"year":"2026"},"n_packages":1,"n_references":null,"packages":[{"ecosystem":"npm","fixed":[],"introduced":["0"],"last_affected":[],"package":"claude-desktop-setup","purl":"pkg:npm/claude-desktop-setup","source":"MAL-2026-18059"}],"products":null,"published":"2026-10-19","related":[],"sources":[{"class":"attribution","licence":"Apache-2.0","name":"OpenSSF Malicious Packages","prefix":"MAL"}],"ssvc":{"automatable":null,"exploitation":null,"technical_impact":null},"state":null,"updated":null,"vendors":null},"summary":null,"url":"https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-18059/"}