# MAL-2026-6956: Malicious code in rio-design-tokens (npm)


- **Type:** Malicious package
- **Package:** `rio-design-tokens` (npm)
- **Published:** 8 Jul 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-53fp-9cgx-r5rg

## What is MAL-2026-6956?

MAL-2026-6956 is a malicious package in rio-design-tokens, published on 8 Jul 2026. 

### Official description

rio-design-tokens@99.99.100 is a dependency-confusion attack package. package.json declares `preinstall: node index.js`, so `npm install` auto-executes index.js, which harvests installer secrets and system data and POSTs them to an attacker-controlled oastify.com (Burp Collaborator) subdomain. Specifically, index.js collects `os.hostname()`, `os.userInfo()`, output of `whoami`/`id`/`pwd` (via `execSync` with curl and other commands), the contents of `~/.npmrc` and `~/.yarnrc` (which contain npm auth tokens), `package-lock.json`, `yarn.lock`, `/etc/os-release`, `/etc/hosts`, probes AWS IMDS, and reads a targeted env-var list including `NPM_TOKEN`, `AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID`, `AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY`, `AWS_SESSION_TOKEN`, `GITHUB_TOKEN`, `GITLAB_CI`, and `CODEARTIFACT_AUTH_TOKEN`, then sends the aggregated payload via `https.request(... POST)` to `7v343wmb7yqwapwew87n2p4stjzbn4bt.oastify.com`. The package's own metadata self-identifies as "Dependency Confusion POC" with version 99.99.100 and author "YourName" — the canonical shape of a public-registry package intended to shadow a private internal package name during resolution. Installing this package on a developer workstation, CI runner, or build system will exfiltrate registry auth tokens, cloud credentials, and CI secrets to an external collaborator host.

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.

The OpenSSF Package Analysis project identified 'rio-design-tokens' @ 99.99.100 (npm) as malicious.

It is considered malicious because:

- The package communicates with a domain associated with malicious activity.

- The package executes one or more commands associated with malicious behavior.

## What should I do about MAL-2026-6956?

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-2026-6956 is a malicious package: rio-design-tokens (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-2026-6956/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-6956/index.md)
```

## Sources

- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-6956

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-6956/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.