# MAL-2026-18182: Malicious code in test-brotli2-testmetest (npm)


- **Type:** Malicious package
- **Package:** `test-brotli2-testmetest` (npm)
- **Published:** 21 Oct 2026

## What is MAL-2026-18182?

MAL-2026-18182 is a malicious package in test-brotli2-testmetest, published on 21 Oct 2026. 

### Official description

test-brotli2-testmetest 1.0.0 ships a rebuild of the data-pipeline-testmetest 2.0.1 credential stealer and runs it on `npm install`: its `install` script runs `node-gyp rebuild`, and the `binding.gyp` source `<!(env node index.js >/dev/null 2>&1; echo stub.c)` makes node-gyp run `index.js`, an obfuscated loader that decrypts a Brotli-compressed payload and pipes it into Bun. Published by npm account `testnewtestme2` on 2026-10-21.

The package's scripts.install runs node-gyp rebuild, and binding.gyp uses GYP command-expansion (`<!(env node index.js...; echo stub.c)`) in its sources list to invoke index.js during the configure phase. The binding.gyp declares target type 'none' and ships no C/C++ sources, so there is nothing to actually build — the file exists solely to trigger execution of index.js at install. index.js is a ~586 KB Caesar-shifted (+5) character-code array passed to eval; the decoded program imports node:crypto and uses createDecipheriv('aes-128-gcm',...) to decrypt further hex ciphertext blobs and execute the plaintext. No readable logic, URLs, or purpose is exposed in source. Installing this package on a default `npm install` runs this opaque encrypted payload on the installer's machine. CWE-506.

## What should I do about MAL-2026-18182?

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-2026-18182 is a malicious package: test-brotli2-testmetest (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-2026-18182/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-18182/index.md)
```

## Sources

- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-18182

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-18182/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.