Which versions of @virtahealth/substrate-root are malicious?

The following npm versions of @virtahealth/substrate-root are flagged malicious: 1.0.1. Treat any of these as compromised.

How do I remediate @virtahealth/substrate-root if I installed it?

@virtahealth/substrate-root 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 @virtahealth/substrate-root — how do I know if it already compromised me?

If @virtahealth/substrate-root 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.

How do I find @virtahealth/substrate-root across my projects, lockfiles, and CI pipelines?

Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for @virtahealth/substrate-root (version 1.0.1).

Malicious package

@virtahealth/substrate-rootnpm

Advisory published Mar 26, 2026Updated Mar 31, 2026

@virtahealth/substrate-root is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-2213) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious version 1.0.1). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

Malicious code in @virtahealth/substrate-root (npm)

MAL-2026-2213

Immediate action

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

npm uninstall @virtahealth/substrate-root

What this malware does

The package @virtahealth/substrate-root was found to contain malicious code.

This package was compromised by the CanisterWorm campaign by the TeamPCP threat actor. The malicious payload establishes persistence as user systemd service and places a backdoor on the infected host. The malware will also harvest npm credentials and can autonomously spread.

Malicious versions

1 flagged

1.0.1

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

010efef42ba2d9d54d09099af01e1bf536eedbdb4f873b02785f625a258d3801

c8348bbc19210fd9962510b31c4e08572ba739767bd183a4c867071a9a5f9d18

Detection & response playbook

Credential / info stealer

Find it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for @virtahealth/substrate-root (version 1.0.1).
If you installed it — respond
@virtahealth/substrate-root 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 @virtahealth/substrate-root 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. @virtahealth/substrate-root on npm has been identified as a malicious package (version 1.0.1 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

References

Credits

Amazon Inspector · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks @virtahealth/substrate-root-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

All malware advisories How O3 detects malware Vulnerability database