Which versions of @cats-cdf/authentication are malicious?

The following npm versions of @cats-cdf/authentication are flagged malicious: 2.17.1, 3.1.1. Treat any of these as compromised.

How do I remediate @cats-cdf/authentication if I installed it?

@cats-cdf/authentication is built to steal secrets, so assume every credential the build or runtime could read is compromised. Remove it from your project and lockfile, then rotate ALL exposed secrets — npm/registry tokens, cloud keys, CI/CD secrets, SSH keys, and any .env values — from a known-clean machine. Audit logs for unauthorized use of those credentials.

I already installed @cats-cdf/authentication — how do I know if it already compromised me?

If @cats-cdf/authentication was installed, its post-install payload may already have run. Removing the package does not undo that — check outbound connections and credential use from the install window onward.

Is @cats-cdf/authentication part of a known attack campaign?

Yes — @cats-cdf/authentication is associated with the IN-MAL-2026-016849, IN-MAL-2026-016847 campaign. Packages in the same campaign often share infrastructure and payloads, so check whether any related packages are also in your dependency tree.

How do I find @cats-cdf/authentication across my projects, lockfiles, and CI pipelines?

Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for @cats-cdf/authentication (2 malicious versions).

Malicious package

@cats-cdf/authenticationnpm

Advisory published Aug 6, 2026Updated Aug 7, 2026

@cats-cdf/authentication is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-13478) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious versions 2.17.1, 3.1.1). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

Malicious code in @cats-cdf/authentication (npm)

MAL-2026-13478

Immediate action

Remove the package, then rotate any secrets the build/runtime could reach.

npm uninstall @cats-cdf/authentication

What this malware does

The package's preinstall lifecycle script runs on npm install and collects the installer's local username (whoami), hostname, and public IP address (fetched via ifconfig.me), then transmits them as query-string parameters in an HTTP GET request to a hardcoded subdomain of oast.fun (kwphewvexhjbtfduscqybx6q7c862eh0g.oast.fun). oast.fun is an out-of-band interaction/callback service commonly used for reconnaissance and exfiltration in dependency-confusion attacks. The behavior fires automatically on default install with no relation to any documented package purpose.

Malicious versions

2 flagged

2.17.13.1.1

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

404569337a1e5fc46fff2584e052d2f9f99c3cb8d04e5fb3b5c5d633c178e01c

c38c7998a850ceb03e1e9795f5e815bc564a1db2d77bdffb77d22bf9ef2dd608

Detection & response playbook

Credential / info stealer

Find it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for @cats-cdf/authentication (2 malicious versions).
If you installed it — respond
@cats-cdf/authentication is built to steal secrets, so assume every credential the build or runtime could read is compromised. Remove it from your project and lockfile, then rotate ALL exposed secrets — npm/registry tokens, cloud keys, CI/CD secrets, SSH keys, and any .env values — from a known-clean machine. Audit logs for unauthorized use of those credentials.
Did it already run?
If @cats-cdf/authentication was installed, its post-install payload may already have run. Removing the package does not undo that — check outbound connections and credential use from the install window onward.

Frequently asked questions

No. @cats-cdf/authentication on npm has been identified as a malicious package (versions 2.17.1, 3.1.1 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

IN-MAL-2026-016849IN-MAL-2026-016847

References

Credits

Amazon Inspector · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks @cats-cdf/authentication-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.

Malware detection Runtime egress monitoring

Explore

All malware advisories How O3 detects malware Vulnerability database