@cats-cdf/browser-metrics-meternpm
Advisory published Updated
@cats-cdf/browser-metrics-meter is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-13479) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious versions 2.0.0, 3.1.1). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in @cats-cdf/browser-metrics-meter (npm)
What this malware does
The package's preinstall lifecycle script runs automatically on npm install and executes whoami and hostname, then fetches the machine's public IP from ifconfig.me and transmits all three values as query-string parameters to a hardcoded out-of-band interaction domain (kwphewvexhjbtfduscqybx6q7c862eh0g.oast.fun) over plain HTTP via curl, with a wget fallback. The domain is an OAST (out-of-band application security testing) collector used to receive exfiltrated reconnaissance data. The behavior fires unconditionally with no first-party relationship, no consent, and no documented purpose consistent with the package name.
Malicious versions
Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)
Detection & response playbook
Credential / info stealerFind it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for @cats-cdf/browser-metrics-meter (2 malicious versions).
If you installed it — respond
@cats-cdf/browser-metrics-meter 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/browser-metrics-meter 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
Campaign
References
Credits
- Amazon Inspector · finder
Detect & block this
O3 blocks @cats-cdf/browser-metrics-meter-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.