MAL-2026-5758 Malicious code in npm-sandbox-research-8b2f (npm)

On install, package.json runs postinstall: node run.js, which loads beacon scripts (beacon8.js, beacon_linux.js) that import child_process, os, and http, gather host identity (output of whoami, os.hostname(), os.platform()), and POST the collected data to a hardcoded HTTP endpoint via http.request(...). This fires automatically on npm install, providing attacker-controlled reconnaissance of every installer host with no user interaction. The behavior — privileged shell command execution, host identity collection, and outbound HTTP POST from a postinstall hook — matches the active-attack reconnaissance/beacon fingerprint.

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.