# MAL-2026-6785: Malicious code in @marketfront/madvpopup (npm)


- **Type:** Malicious package
- **Package:** `@marketfront/madvpopup` (npm)
- **Published:** 2 Jul 2026

## What is MAL-2026-6785?

MAL-2026-6785 is a malicious package in @marketfront/madvpopup, published on 2 Jul 2026. 

### Official description

The @marketfront/madvpopup package is part of a 25-package malicious campaign batch-published to the @marketfront npm scope by npm user 'marketfront' (marketfront@tutamail.com) within a roughly 3-minute window on 2026-07-01. All packages in the campaign were published at version 7.0.0 and use e-commerce/marketing frontend component names as cover.

The package declares a postinstall hook (node scripts/postinstall.js) that executes heavily obfuscated (obfuscator.io-style) code automatically at npm install time. Static analysis of the decoded payload revealed a credential harvester that dynamically requires fs, os, http, https, zlib, path and dns, then reads approximately 20 sensitive credential files including ~/.ssh, ~/.aws/credentials, ~/.kube/config, ~/.docker/config.json, ~/.npmrc, ~/.netrc, ~/.pgpass, ~/.git-credentials, ~/.env and ~/.bash_history. Collected data is exfiltrated via a gzip-compressed HTTPS POST with a custom X-Secret header to the path /api/v1/events, alongside a DNS resolver beacon. The command-and-control host is concealed behind an additional RC4+XOR encryption layer around an embedded configuration blob and was not statically resolved.

The decoded behavioral payload (module requires, credential-file target list, exfiltration headers and endpoint) is byte-for-byte identical across sampled packages in the campaign. The campaign shares tooling and infrastructure patterns (obfuscated postinstall credential harvester, X-Secret header, /api/v1/events exfiltration path, RC4-concealed C2) with the earlier @emcd-vue campaign, indicating the same actor rotating scopes and disposable maintainer emails.

Package declares `postinstall: node scripts/postinstall.js`. scripts/postinstall.js is a 162KB obfuscator.io-style payload (string-array + RC4 + base64 decoders, per-call scope aliases, and anti-debug: NODE_OPTIONS inspection, inspector-module check, Date.now() tight-loop timing probe gating execution via a global flag). On `npm install` the script collects hostname, network interfaces, cwd, uid/gid, home, tmpdir, uptime, username, npm_config_user_agent, Windows-specific variables (USERDOMAIN, COMPUTERNAME, PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE, APPDATA, LOCALAPPDATA, PROGRAMDATA, TEMP), and the full `process.env`, and POSTs them over HTTPS to a hardcoded (obfuscated) remote endpoint. A dedicated helper iterates `process.env` against a large embedded allowlist of credential-shaped variable names (AWS/DB/CI/token patterns) and includes matches in the outbound payload — direct credential harvest against installer machines and CI runners where cloud/registry tokens live in the environment. The library surface is non-functional cover: `dist/index.js` re-exports `../src/index.js`, which is not shipped in the tarball; the only executable code is the postinstall. Scope and metadata (`@marketfront/`, homepage `docs.marketfront.io`, repo `github.marketfront.io`, bugs `jira.marketfront.io`, README instructing `.npmrc` redirect to `npm.marketfront.io`) impersonate an internal-corporate namespace, consistent with a dependency-confusion attack against a specific organization's developers.

## What should I do about MAL-2026-6785?

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-2026-6785 is a malicious package: @marketfront/madvpopup (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-2026-6785/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-6785/index.md)
```

## Sources

- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-6785

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-6785/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.