MAL-2026-18621: Malicious code in unfortunate_crawdad_emerald-79 (npm)

Published Nov 2, 2026
·
Updated

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: 3.3.1; tarball SHA-256 9b1c0d601c4b827fd86f48aff1ab51a397ef52f5ccd42b4b03947234dcc2f891.

Affected Software

1 affected component
npm/unfortunate_crawdad_emerald-79=3.3.1

Event History

Nov 2, 2026
Advisory Published
via OSV·09:44 AM
Data Sourced
via OSV·09:44 AM
DescriptionAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What happens if this package is installed or executed?

The examined package contains autopublish.js, which runs `npm publish --access public` to publish the package again. This creates additional public registry copies as part of a self-republishing campaign.

2

How can I identify the examined malicious artifact?

The examined version is 3.3.1, and its tarball SHA-256 is 9b1c0d601c4b827fd86f48aff1ab51a397ef52f5ccd42b4b03947234dcc2f891. The campaign also uses generated package names following the pattern <adjective>_<animal>_<colour>-<number>.

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2026 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203