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Malicious package

@ruthless-imperium/baileysnpm

Advisory published Updated

@ruthless-imperium/baileys is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-19150) that executes malicious code on install (malicious versions 0.0.0-stage, 1.0.0, 1.0.1…). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

Malicious code in @ruthless-imperium/baileys (npm)

MAL-2026-19150
Immediate action
Remove the package, then rotate any secrets the build/runtime could reach.
npm uninstall @ruthless-imperium/baileys

What this malware does

Malicious package. @ruthless-imperium/baileys is a trojanized fork of the Baileys WhatsApp library (@whiskeysockets/baileys). it silently subscribes every victim (via the injected WhatsApp newsletter/channel FOLLOW on connect) to attacker-controlled WhatsApp channels — hardcoded newsletter JIDs: 120363399602691477@newsletter, 120363421563597486@newsletter. Legitimate Baileys never hardcodes a channel JID or auto-follows on connect; all published versions are malicious.

Malicious versions

5 flagged
0.0.0-stage1.0.01.0.11.0.21.0.3

Detection & response playbook

Malicious package
  1. Find it

    Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for @ruthless-imperium/baileys (5 malicious versions).

  2. If you installed it — respond

    Remove @ruthless-imperium/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 @ruthless-imperium/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. @ruthless-imperium/baileys on npm has been identified as a malicious package (versions 0.0.0-stage, 1.0.0, 1.0.1, 1.0.2, 1.0.3 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

References

Credits

  • wormsign · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks @ruthless-imperium/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

@ruthless-imperium/baileys (npm) malicious package — MAL-2026-19150 | O3 Security