Which versions of @custombots/custombot are malicious?

The following npm versions of @custombots/custombot are flagged malicious: 1.0.0, 2.0.0, 2.0.1, 2.0.2. Treat any of these as compromised.

How do I remediate @custombots/custombot if I installed it?

@custombots/custombot establishes remote access, so treat any host that installed it as fully compromised. Isolate the machine, remove the package, rotate all credentials it could reach, and rebuild from a trusted image rather than cleaning in place — a backdoor may have planted additional persistence.

I already installed @custombots/custombot — how do I know if it already compromised me?

If @custombots/custombot 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 @custombots/custombot part of a known attack campaign?

Yes — @custombots/custombot is associated with the IN-MAL-2026-010979, IN-MAL-2026-011366, IN-MAL-2026-011365, IN-MAL-2026-011367 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 @custombots/custombot across my projects, lockfiles, and CI pipelines?

Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for @custombots/custombot (4 malicious versions).

Malicious package

@custombots/custombotnpm

Advisory published Aug 2, 2026Updated Aug 5, 2026

@custombots/custombot is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-11498) that opens a backdoor for remote access (malicious versions 1.0.0, 2.0.0, 2.0.1…). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

Malicious code in @custombots/custombot (npm)

MAL-2026-11498

Immediate action

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

npm uninstall @custombots/custombot

What this malware does

index.js opens a TCP connection to a base64-obfuscated IP address (decodes to 85.137.253.124:1111), spawns /bin/sh, and pipes the shell's stdin/stdout/stderr through the socket, giving the remote endpoint an interactive shell on the installer's host. package.json declares "postinstall": "node install.js"; install.js uses node-linux's Service API to install index.js as a Linux systemd service named CustomBot and starts it, aborting unless run as root and prompting the user to run sudo npm i. The combination provides remote code execution against the installer with root privileges and reboot persistence. The C2 IP is stored as the base64 literal 'ODUuMTM3LjI1My4xMjQ=' and decoded at runtime, consistent with deliberate concealment.

The OpenSSF Package Analysis project identified '@custombots/custombot' @ 1.0.0 (npm) as malicious.

It is considered malicious because:

The package executes one or more commands associated with malicious behavior.

Malicious versions

4 flagged

1.0.02.0.02.0.12.0.2

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

07c87d7c1e7e788959af6de895c76293fd0922dd1a422da325962de7f8d3d19a

00209d00ff27a3d232edd8c0cd091e9289ae12986a50e7938d84b1060068273c

0bc5799c50ef6743c402fdfb9510eae5f2cd47de8ffa245fd81ef1484739cc2a

8fffb833144f5fa1f95be35877b94e173922b2d5e2280232b84c303ffafd8937

b88fd82e9d147a4fad43b89bab0b975fe57714abf16356eb39ec0ae62dcc7949

Detection & response playbook

Backdoor / remote access

Find it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for @custombots/custombot (4 malicious versions).
If you installed it — respond
@custombots/custombot establishes remote access, so treat any host that installed it as fully compromised. Isolate the machine, remove the package, rotate all credentials it could reach, and rebuild from a trusted image rather than cleaning in place — a backdoor may have planted additional persistence.
Did it already run?
If @custombots/custombot 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. @custombots/custombot on npm has been identified as a malicious package (versions 1.0.0, 2.0.0, 2.0.1, 2.0.2 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

IN-MAL-2026-010979IN-MAL-2026-011366IN-MAL-2026-011365IN-MAL-2026-011367

References

Credits

Amazon Inspector · finder
OpenSSF: Package Analysis · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks @custombots/custombot-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the C2 callback and severs the channel.

Malware detection Runtime egress monitoring

Explore

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