# MAL-2026-4555: Malicious code in events-router (npm)


- **Type:** Malicious package
- **Package:** `events-router` (npm)
- **Published:** 22 May 2026

## What is MAL-2026-4555?

MAL-2026-4555 is a malicious package in events-router, published on 22 May 2026. 

### Official description

events-router@2.1.4 impersonates the `events` EventEmitter polyfill (README and Travis badge copied verbatim from browserify/events) and ships a multi-stage attacker payload. events.js patches EventEmitter.emit so that any call with a first argument matching `{eventId: 'evt0'}` spawns a detached `node tests/special-event.min.js` child outside the documented API. tests/special-event.min.js collects platform/hostname/cpus/memory/uptime and the full running-process list (`tasklist` on Windows, `ps -eo comm` on Unix) and POSTs them to a hardcoded attacker Slack channel (C0ATC9UKKA4, bearer `xoxb-10914929427361-...`) and to Telegram bot 8717417715 chat -1003968723972. tests/special.min.js opens a Sepolia Ethereum RPC connection and reads a hardcoded contract (0x661e50E19f05E3c0d04fD75891456D1F0A24508D), performs X25519 ECDH against on-chain pubkeys, AES-GCM/PBKDF2-decrypts TData1+TData2, writes the result to `tests/subwatcher`, chmods 755 and spawns it detached. tests/index.min.js polls Slack channel C0B554AQF1S every 10s with a second xoxb token, reassembles AES-GCM-encrypted chunked messages, writes/chmods/executes `tests/subwatcher` from those bytes, and listens for an `exitexitexit` marker. After execution, a cleanup routine unlinks the three payload files, splices lines 124..139 out of events.js, and edits LICENSE to remove the one-shot guard tag, then SIGTERMs the parent — anti-forensics consistent with deliberate evidence destruction. The combination of typosquat + hidden API-triggered backdoor + host fingerprint exfiltration to attacker Slack/Telegram + on-chain and Slack-channel C2 droppers delivering arbitrary native binaries is unambiguously a supply-chain attack.

## What should I do about MAL-2026-4555?

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-2026-4555 is a malicious package: events-router (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-2026-4555/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-4555/index.md)
```

## Sources

- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-4555

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-4555/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.