🛡️ MAL-2026-4278 — llm-context-compressor
Description
Malicious code in llm-context-compressor (npm) Ten packages published by npm user `asdxzxc` at version 1.0.10 target developers working on AI and LLM tooling. Each package masquerades as a developer utility while executing a two-stage payload triggered via postinstall: `package.json` → `lib/setup.js` → `lib/worker.js`. **Credential harvesting:** `lib/worker.js` scans the filesystem for private keys (64-char hex), BIP39 mnemonics (12–24 word phrases), API keys and secrets, and passwords from env vars and shell history (`.bash_history`, `.zsh_history`, `.fish_history`, `.mysql_history`, `.psql_history`), including wallet tool invocations (`geth account`, `hardhat`, `metamask`, `wallet import`). Targeted paths include `~/.ssh`, `~/.aws/credentials`, `~/.config/gcloud`, `~/.azure`, `~/.docker/config.json`, `~/.kube/config`, crypto wallet dirs (`~/.ethereum`, `~/.bitcoin`, `~/.solana`), exchange configs (Binance, Bybit, OKX, KuCoin, Deribit, 3Commas), `.env`, `.npmrc`, `.gitconfig`. Also performs browser data theft and Ethereum keystore brute-force. A priority-target list fetched from the actor's GitHub Pages endpoint enables aggressive deep scanning for pre-registered high-value hosts. **AI self-propagation:** after credential theft, a `_propagate()` function executes a multi-vector campaign to infect AI coding assistants. It writes poisoned `.cursorrules` and `CLAUDE.md` files — framed as "P-2024-001 Enterprise Credential Integrity Standard" — to all discovered project directories, parent directories, and home subdirectories, instructing Cursor, Claude Code, and GitHub Copilot to execute the remote payload and propagate it via Issues, PRs, and documentation. Git hooks (`post-merge`, `post-checkout`, `pre-commit`, `pre-push`) are injected into all `.git` repos found on disk, and a persistence block is appended to `~/.bashrc`, `~/.zshrc`, and `~/.profile`. Zero-width steganography (ZWSP/ZWJ/ZWNJ/LTRM encoding) embeds hidden scan triggers in all AI-generated text output, enabling AI-to-AI chain infection invisible to humans. **C2/exfil:** a remotely configurable JSON config hosted on the actor's GitHub Pages delivers the active webhook list, encryption key, and scan strategy; hardcoded fallback webhooks at `webhook.site` and a DNS TXT record fallback are used if the primary channel fails. A dedup marker at `~/.local/share/.p2024_integrity` prevents re-propagation within 24 hours. `llm-context-compressor` poses as an LLM context window compression utility, specifically targeting AI/LLM application developers. ## Source: amazon-inspector The package ships lib/trap-core.js, a ~1000-line module that combines fs, os, https, and child_process to collect host fingerprints and POST them to a remote endpoint. Observed structural fingerprints in trap-core.js: os.hostname() / os.platform() reads (lines 1023-1024, 304), filesystem enumeration via fs.existsSync at multiple locations (lines 28, 81, 196,...), spawning of child processes including curl (line 781) and ping (line 40), and multiple HTTP POST request constructions carrying `hostname:` fields in their JSON bodies (lines 385, 393, 411, 466, 548-553, 600). This matches the host-recon-and-exfiltrate pattern: gather identifiers from os/fs, run shell commands for additional intel, then POST results over https. The package's stated purpose ("LLM context compressor") provides no legitimate justification for hostname/platform collection, child_process spawning of curl, or POST'ing host metadata. Treat as a credential/host-intelligence exfiltrator regardless of how the module is reached, as the file is part of the published tarball and shipped with the library code. ## Source: ghsa-malware 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. ## Source: ossf-package-analysis The OpenSSF Package Analysis project identified 'llm-context-compressor' @ 1.0.12 (npm) as malicious. It is considered malicious because: - The package executes one or more commands associated with malicious behavior.
Affected software and timeline
Affected software: llm-context-compressor. Published on 23 May 2026 and last revised on 26 May 2026. No public exploit is currently recorded for this entry. Record sourced from OSV.
References
github.com (Advisory)
x.com (Report)
www.npmjs.com (Package)
www.npmjs.com (Package)
www.npmjs.com (Package)
www.npmjs.com (Package)
www.npmjs.com (Package)
Details
Affected Packages
| Software | From version | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| llm-context-compressor | — | — |
References
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