Which versions of @nstrlabs/api-client are malicious?

The following npm versions of @nstrlabs/api-client are flagged malicious: 99.0.0, 99.0.1. Treat any of these as compromised.

How do I remediate @nstrlabs/api-client if I installed it?

@nstrlabs/api-client 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 @nstrlabs/api-client — how do I know if it already compromised me?

If @nstrlabs/api-client was ever installed, its post-install/runtime payload may have already executed. O3's L7 egress monitoring and runtime eBPF sensors detect the credential exfiltration or command-and-control callback after install and block the malicious outbound channel, so you catch and contain the actual compromise — not just the presence of the package.

Is @nstrlabs/api-client part of a known attack campaign?

Yes — @nstrlabs/api-client is associated with the IN-MAL-2026-005095, IN-MAL-2026-005096, IN-MAL-2026-005131, IN-MAL-2026-005130 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 @nstrlabs/api-client across my projects, lockfiles, and CI pipelines?

Scan your lockfiles (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, yarn.lock, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, etc.) and build artifacts for @nstrlabs/api-client (2 malicious versions). O3 Security's supply-chain scanner checks every dependency against known-malicious package intelligence at install time and in CI, flagging @nstrlabs/api-client across your stack and pipelines.

Malicious package

@nstrlabs/api-clientnpm

Malicious code in @nstrlabs/api-client (npm) Remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

MAL-2026-5418

Immediate action

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

npm uninstall @nstrlabs/api-client

What this malware does

@nstrlabs/[email protected] is a hollow package whose only behavior is an install-time exfiltration beacon. package.json declares "preinstall": "node index.js || true", so every npm install automatically executes index.js, which collects os.hostname(), os.userInfo().username, __dirname, and process.cwd() and ships them through two independent channels: (1) a DNS lookup against a subdomain of d8jbmnsqcfu78dfs8vdg34ohqhirb4pbg.oast.live (OAST-style out-of-band callback) encoding the collected fields, and (2) an HTTP POST of the JSON payload to the hardcoded bare IP 172.201.213.59:9090/c. Errors are swallowed with || true to keep the install appearing successful. The package ships no API-client functionality; the version-bomb to 99.0.0 under the @nstrlabs scope, combined with the security research description and beacon-only payload, is the canonical dependency-confusion shape — designed to outrank a private internal @nstrlabs/api-client and silently identify hosts inside the target organization's build environment.

Malicious versions

2 flagged

99.0.099.0.1

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

21dda1fd78fda4debfc14241cb2f5653bb328ccbe744170341d7f5a93331dac2

9e0cc169216efefe96ed4724461baf56c8d7827b7322eaaca6dfdce9a3456165

7d5538fb97a8a712a30d1168e70ae82650504b2e6015833086b4d95093807e53

de7b47a7f81209dbbaff286599b46f4f030ff992b6d0c25d947cc84739b838d9

Detection & response playbook

Credential / info stealer

Find it
Scan your lockfiles (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, yarn.lock, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, etc.) and build artifacts for @nstrlabs/api-client (2 malicious versions). O3 Security's supply-chain scanner checks every dependency against known-malicious package intelligence at install time and in CI, flagging @nstrlabs/api-client across your stack and pipelines.
If you installed it — respond
@nstrlabs/api-client 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 @nstrlabs/api-client was ever installed, its post-install/runtime payload may have already executed. O3's L7 egress monitoring and runtime eBPF sensors detect the credential exfiltration or command-and-control callback after install and block the malicious outbound channel, so you catch and contain the actual compromise — not just the presence of the package.
How O3 protects you
O3 blocks @nstrlabs/api-client before install through its supply-chain scanner, and if it has already run, detects and severs the exfiltration or C2 callback at runtime through L7 egress monitoring and eBPF.

Frequently asked questions

No. @nstrlabs/api-client on npm has been identified as a malicious package (versions 99.0.0, 99.0.1 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

IN-MAL-2026-005095IN-MAL-2026-005096IN-MAL-2026-005131IN-MAL-2026-005130

References

Credits

Amazon Inspector · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks @nstrlabs/api-client-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