# MAL-2026-4230: Malicious code in cryptoco-auth (npm)


- **Type:** Malicious package
- **Package:** `cryptoco-auth` (npm)
- **Published:** 21 May 2026

## What is MAL-2026-4230?

MAL-2026-4230 is a malicious package in cryptoco-auth, published on 21 May 2026. 

### Official description

On require(), index.js opens TCP connections to the cloud link-local metadata address 169.254.169.254 across ports 80, 443, 8080, 3000, 5432, and 6379, writing an HTTP probe on each successful connection. The package advertises itself as a crypto authentication library but contains no authentication code — its only runtime behavior is reconnaissance against the AWS/cloud Instance Metadata Service, a well-known precursor to IMDS credential theft on cloud VMs. The package manifest is minimal (no description, author, or repository), and the IP literal is annotated with an Indonesian-language comment explicitly identifying it as the AWS Metadata IP. The lure-style name combined with reconnaissance behavior and absent legitimate functionality is consistent with a malicious package targeting cloud-hosted installers.

The OpenSSF Package Analysis project identified 'cryptoco-auth' @ 1.0.6 (npm) as malicious.

It is considered malicious because:

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

## What should I do about MAL-2026-4230?

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-2026-4230 is a malicious package: cryptoco-auth (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-2026-4230/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-4230/index.md)
```

## Sources

- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-4230

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-4230/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.