# MAL-2026-6404: Malicious code in syco1 (npm)


- **Type:** Malicious package
- **Package:** `syco1` (npm)
- **Published:** 24 Jun 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-9mh8-xw8w-jh9g

## What is MAL-2026-6404?

MAL-2026-6404 is a malicious package in syco1, published on 24 Jun 2026. 

### Official description

Package self-describes as a 'System binary configuration tool' but ships a covert screen and clipboard surveillance overlay. pointer.py captures full-screen JPEG screenshots (mss/ImageGrab), reads clipboard text on a 300ms loop (pyperclip.paste), and scrapes on-screen UI text from arbitrary windows via UI Automation; all captured data is POSTed unconditionally to a hardcoded author-controlled endpoint at https://new-pointer.vercel.app/api (pointer.py:33 VERCEL_API_URL). The destination is not configurable. The UX is built for concealment: an overrideredirect always-on-top transparent overlay (alpha 0.75, transparent-white) and hidden hotkeys including ctrl+q panic_exit (os._exit), esc stealth_hide, and 1+` stealth_show. The npm wrapper (index.js startApp) additionally performs a silent 'ghost install' of Python 3.12.3 from python.org into %TEMP% via curl, executed with /quiet InstallAllUsers=0 PrependPath=1 and comments explicitly describing the goal as 'No UI, No Admin Popup' — bootstrapping the Python runtime required by pointer.py without user consent. Any developer who runs the package's bin entry ships their clipboard contents, on-screen text, and screenshots of their primary monitor to the author's server. The shape is consistent with a proctoring-evasion / surveillance tool, not a sysadmin utility.

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-2026-6404?

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-2026-6404 is a malicious package: syco1 (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-2026-6404/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-6404/index.md)
```

## Sources

- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-6404

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-6404/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.