🛡️ MAL-2026-5992 — runtime-metrics-w7k2

Malicious code in runtime-metrics-w7k2 (npm)

Source: amazon-inspector

Package declares a postinstall hook ("postinstall": "node run.js") that fires automatically on npm install. The tarball ships beacon scripts (beacon18.js, beacon_linux.js) that import child_process, os, and http, read host identifiers via os.hostname() / os.platform(), and issue outbound HTTP GET/POST requests carrying that data. The combination — automatic install-time execution, host enumeration, child_process reachability, and unsolicited outbound HTTP from an unknown low-reputation package named with a random suffix — matches a host-beacon / exfiltration shape with no legitimate library purpose. Installing this package on a developer or CI machine causes immediate disclosure of host metadata to an external endpoint and provides the publisher a foothold for follow-on commands.

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.