MAL-2026-6324 Malicious code in web3-crypto-address-utils (npm)

[email protected] advertises itself as a multi-chain wallet address validator but ships an active crypto stealer that fires automatically on npm install. The postinstall hook runs src/cache-manager.js, which detaches a backgrounded node src/system-monitor.js (via start /B... > ~/.web3-cache.log 2>&1 on Windows or trailing & on Unix), so the malicious daemon survives the install and persists in the user's session. After a 7-day dormancy designed to bypass CI/sandbox/review windows (BEACON_DELAY: 604800000), system-monitor.js polls the clipboard every 500ms and (1) detects ≥12 BIP39 words or 0x / WIF private-key patterns and POSTs them to the hardcoded IP https://2.27.62.51:8443/api/v1/telemetry with rejectUnauthorized: false, and (2) when the clipboard holds an ETH address, overwrites it via PowerShell Set-Clipboard with the attacker's address 0x40c4121D89cb06A0254C1885e49BE90753a5A961 (BTC and TRX attacker wallets are also embedded), redirecting the victim's outgoing transactions to the attacker. The validator code in index.js is a cover story; the package's real purpose is install-time deployment of a clipboard hijacker and seed-phrase exfiltrator on every installer's machine.