@hrmony/benefit-internetzuschussnpm
Advisory published Updated
@hrmony/benefit-internetzuschuss is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-17254) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious version 1.99.0). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in @hrmony/benefit-internetzuschuss (npm)
What this malware does
On module import, the package unconditionally beacons to the hardcoded external host https://hrnmn.dd.h4x.tv/save_instance_info_from_pkge_hrmony_benefit-internetzuschuss and then harvests installer credentials and sends them to the same endpoint. The harvester queries the AWS Instance Metadata Service at 169.254.169.254, obtains an IMDSv2 token, and reads instance identity, user-data, network interface details, and IAM role security credentials from iam/security-credentials/. It also enumerates the full process.env map and recursively reads /var/run/secrets/, which on Kubernetes hosts contains service-account tokens and mounted secrets. The collected object is POSTed as JSON to the attacker-controlled host. The package name suggests a German social-benefits helper, which has no relationship to the credential-harvesting behavior in the shipped code, and the destination host is unrelated to any legitimate publisher infrastructure.
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
Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)
Detection & response playbook
Credential / info stealerFind it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for @hrmony/benefit-internetzuschuss (version 1.99.0).
If you installed it — respond
@hrmony/benefit-internetzuschuss 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 @hrmony/benefit-internetzuschuss 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 @hrmony/benefit-internetzuschuss-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.