Which versions of @fairwords/websocket are malicious?

The following npm versions of @fairwords/websocket are flagged malicious: 1.0.38, 1.0.39. Treat any of these as compromised.

How do I remediate @fairwords/websocket if I installed it?

@fairwords/websocket 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 @fairwords/websocket — how do I know if it already compromised me?

If @fairwords/websocket 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 @fairwords/websocket part of a known attack campaign?

Yes — @fairwords/websocket is associated with the GHSA-wr82-83f6-47v8 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 @fairwords/websocket across my projects, lockfiles, and CI pipelines?

Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for @fairwords/websocket (2 malicious versions).

Malicious package

@fairwords/websocketnpm

Advisory published Apr 8, 2026Updated Apr 10, 2026

@fairwords/websocket is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-2508) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious versions 1.0.38, 1.0.39). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

Malicious code in @fairwords/websocket (npm)

MAL-2026-2508

Immediate action

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

npm uninstall @fairwords/websocket

What this malware does

The @fairwords/websocket package was compromised as part of the TeamPCP/CanisterWorm campaign. A postinstall hook executes node scripts/check-env.js || true which performs multi-stage credential harvesting, encrypted exfiltration, and self-propagation.

The payload harvests 40+ environment variable patterns (AWS, Azure, GCP, GitHub, OpenAI, Stripe), reads 30+ filesystem credential locations (SSH keys, .npmrc, Kubernetes configs, Docker auth, Terraform files), steals crypto wallet data (Solana, Ethereum, Bitcoin, MetaMask, Phantom, Exodus, Atomic Wallet), and extracts Chrome passwords on Linux via hardcoded PBKDF2 key derivation.

Exfiltration uses a RSA-4096 + AES-256-CBC hybrid encryption scheme, sending data to an HTTPS C2 endpoint (telemetry.api-monitor.com) and an Internet Computer (ICP) canister as a decentralized dead-drop.

The worm steals npm tokens to enumerate and infect all publishable packages owned by the token holder, auto-publishing with bumped version numbers. It also performs cross-ecosystem propagation to PyPI via .pth file injection.

Version 1.0.39 was auto-published ~8 minutes after the initial compromise of version 1.0.38, containing a variant propagation payload.

The package @fairwords/websocket was found to contain malicious 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

1.0.381.0.39

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

3e34a57ff24a22cedb47b7d7d6547db1d397ae606558ddb3691003f058b5816b

0fd04bad721e302e9b0794f2905a7925a0cedc10801fb1ddcd6e482aed3a670f

Detection & response playbook

Credential / info stealer

Find it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for @fairwords/websocket (2 malicious versions).
If you installed it — respond
@fairwords/websocket 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 @fairwords/websocket 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. @fairwords/websocket on npm has been identified as a malicious package (versions 1.0.38, 1.0.39 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

GHSA-wr82-83f6-47v8

References

Credits

Amazon Inspector · finder
SafeDep · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks @fairwords/websocket-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

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