MAL-2026-5976 Malicious code in cryptodao-core (npm)
Malicious package
Published
MAL-2026-5976 is a malicious package: cryptodao-core (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-2026-5976/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-5976/index.md)
- Package
- cryptodao-core
- Registry
- npm
What is MAL-2026-5976?
MAL-2026-5976 is a malicious package in cryptodao-core, published on 17 Jun 2026.
Official description
package.json declares a postinstall hook that runs recon.js on every npm install. recon.js harvests installer-side secrets — AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY, SSH_PRIVATE_KEY, NPM_TOKEN, GITLAB_ACCESS_TOKEN, DB_PASSWORD, MNEMONIC and similar — reads.env files from multiple paths, enumerates CI runner directories (/builds/, /home/gitlab-runner/), and collects host fingerprint data (hostname, platform, user, cwd). The bundle is POSTed over HTTPS with TLS verification disabled (rejectUnauthorized:false) to two anonymous request-capture endpoints: webhook.site/d6d18927-e513-4df7-b019-58bfc64fe0dd and enqoojbegdvxj.x.pipedream.net. A copy is also dropped to /tmp/.npm_recon_<ts>.json. The package name 'cryptodao-core' combined with version 99.99.99 and the in-source comment 'CryptoDAO Dependency Confusion Reconnaissance Payload' is the canonical dependency-confusion attack shape — published at an absurd version to outrank an internal package of the same name on resolvers that mix public and private registries. Any CI runner or developer machine that installs this version will leak its environment secrets to attacker-controlled endpoints.
What should I do about MAL-2026-5976?
Remove the package from your dependencies and lockfiles, then rotate any secrets on machines where it was installed.