MAL-2026-18617: Malicious code in sound_deer_apricot-15 (npm)
Part of a self-republishing campaign: generated names of the form <adjective><animal><colour>-<number>, each package shipping the same autopublish.js, which runs npm publish --access public to publish the package again. Self-replicating publication is the propagation step of a registry worm and fills the registry with copies. Version examined: 2.1.4; tarball SHA-256 27600206fc32a99f42d2dc8e77a71b222ae457b0345dfec2f397d6883b49f9f4.
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if this package is executed in an environment with npm publishing credentials?
Its autopublish.js runs `npm publish --access public`, which can publish the package again. The described propagation relies on registry publication and creates additional public copies.
How can I identify the examined malicious artifact?
The examined version is 2.1.4. Its tarball SHA-256 is 27600206fc32a99f42d2dc8e77a71b222ae457b0345dfec2f397d6883b49f9f4.
What related packages should defenders investigate?
Investigate generated package names matching the pattern `<adjective>_<animal>_<colour>-<number>`. The campaign is described as shipping the same autopublish.js behavior across such names.