NIST deprecates RSA-2048 from 2030. Find every one of them before attackers do.
Malicious package

@chatbridgeworld/baileysnpm

Advisory published Updated

@chatbridgeworld/baileys is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-18787) that executes malicious code on install (malicious versions 0.0.0-stage, 1.0.0). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

Malicious code in @chatbridgeworld/baileys (npm)

MAL-2026-18787
Immediate action
Remove the package, then rotate any secrets the build/runtime could reach.
npm uninstall @chatbridgeworld/baileys

What this malware does

Malicious package. @chatbridgeworld/baileys is a trojanized fork of the Baileys WhatsApp library (@whiskeysockets/baileys). on connection it issues an authenticated w:mex newsletter FOLLOW mutation (query_id 7871414976211147) that silently subscribes every victim to attacker-controlled WhatsApp channels — hardcoded newsletter JIDs: 120363297591152843@newsletter, 120363351424590490@newsletter, 120363410165027550@newsletter, 120363412935005237@newsletter, 120363413699154858@newsletter, 120363413933221020@newsletter, 120363426302817140@newsletter, 120363428923746817@newsletter, 120363430013410680@newsletter, 120363433092350168@newsletter. Legitimate Baileys never hardcodes a channel JID or auto-follows on connect; all published versions are malicious. Detected by wormsign static analysis of the injected channel-subscription code.

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.

Malicious versions

2 flagged
0.0.0-stage1.0.0

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

b7a5a2853e26ae8d922803db487eb05b9a6f8ae50d426750c0a5cd1d5ca208ab

Detection & response playbook

Malicious package
  1. Find it

    Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for @chatbridgeworld/baileys (2 malicious versions).

  2. If you installed it — respond

    Remove @chatbridgeworld/baileys from your project and lockfile, then assume any secrets accessible to the build or runtime were exposed: rotate API keys, tokens, and credentials, and audit for unexpected outbound activity or persistence.

  3. Did it already run?

    If @chatbridgeworld/baileys 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. @chatbridgeworld/baileys on npm has been identified as a malicious package (versions 0.0.0-stage, 1.0.0 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

GHSA-fjhf-q8f8-r96j

References

Credits

  • wormsign · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks @chatbridgeworld/baileys-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the malicious outbound activity and severs the channel.

Explore

@chatbridgeworld/baileys (npm) malicious package — MAL-2026-18787 | O3 Security