MAL-2026-4489 Malicious code in auth0-templates-scripts (npm)
- Package
- auth0-templates-scripts
- Registry
- npm
What is MAL-2026-4489?
MAL-2026-4489 is a malicious package in auth0-templates-scripts, published on 21 May 2026.
Official description
Package name 'auth0-templates-scripts' impersonates the Auth0 (Okta) brand without affiliation. The author field is the placeholder 'OpenSource Contributor'. The main entry (index.js lines 2-6) silently require()s a co-named dependency auth0-templates-scripts-utils (^1.0.5) inside a try/catch that swallows all errors, then prints an 'integration framework initialized' message. This is a loader-shim pattern: the visible package is nearly empty while the auto-installed sibling — which is pulled into the installer's dependency tree on npm install and loaded on every require('auth0-templates-scripts') — carries the actual code, hidden from inspection of this tarball. The combination of brand-name impersonation, placeholder author metadata, and a silent error-swallowing shim that delegates execution to a co-named transitive is the canonical namespace-abuse dropper shape.
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-2026-4489?
Remove the package from your dependencies and lockfiles, then rotate any secrets on machines where it was installed.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-748c-3f9q-294w.