@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)
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
Detection & response playbook
Malicious packageFind it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for @ruthless-imperium/baileys (5 malicious versions).
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.
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
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.