What does the @wethenorth12/etherjs malware do?

@wethenorth12/etherjs@6.15.3 is a typosquat of the ethers package (package name, description, and author string 'ricmoo' all mimic the real package; index.js re-exports the real 'ethers' when available as a benign facade). Its postinstall hook decodes a base64-embedded Node payload into a randomized directory under the OS tmpdir (os.tmpdir()/.npm- /setup.js), executes it via process.execPath with execFileSync, and removes the directory 5 seconds later to erase traces. The decoded payload collects hostname, username, home directory, cwd, platform, the full contents of process.env, and the output of the `env` command, then transmits the data base64-wrapped in a GET query string to a hardc

Which versions of @wethenorth12/etherjs are malicious?

The following npm versions of @wethenorth12/etherjs are flagged malicious: 6.15.0, 6.15.1, 6.15.2, 6.15.3, 6.15.4. Treat any of these as compromised.

How do I remediate @wethenorth12/etherjs if I installed it?

@wethenorth12/etherjs 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 @wethenorth12/etherjs — how do I know if it already compromised me?

If @wethenorth12/etherjs 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.

Is @wethenorth12/etherjs part of a known attack campaign?

Yes — @wethenorth12/etherjs is associated with the IN-MAL-2026-013458, IN-MAL-2026-013456, IN-MAL-2026-013455, IN-MAL-2026-013459, IN-MAL-2026-013457 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 @wethenorth12/etherjs across my projects, lockfiles, and CI pipelines?

Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for @wethenorth12/etherjs (5 malicious versions).

Part of a larger attack: @wethenorth12 published 23 malicious packages. See the full campaign →

Malicious package

@wethenorth12/etherjsnpm

Advisory published Aug 5, 2026Updated Aug 5, 2026

@wethenorth12/etherjs is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-12092) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious versions 6.15.0, 6.15.1, 6.15.2…). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

Malicious code in @wethenorth12/etherjs (npm)

MAL-2026-12092

Immediate action

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

npm uninstall @wethenorth12/etherjs

What this malware does

@wethenorth12/[email protected] is a typosquat of the ethers package (package name, description, and author string 'ricmoo' all mimic the real package; index.js re-exports the real 'ethers' when available as a benign facade). Its postinstall hook decodes a base64-embedded Node payload into a randomized directory under the OS tmpdir (os.tmpdir()/.npm-<rand>/setup.js), executes it via process.execPath with execFileSync, and removes the directory 5 seconds later to erase traces. The decoded payload collects hostname, username, home directory, cwd, platform, the full contents of process.env, and the output of the env command, then transmits the data base64-wrapped in a GET query string to a hardcoded Telegram Bot API endpoint (api.telegram.org/bot<redacted>/sendMessage, chat_id 8969499041). Because process.env in CI/CD and developer environments routinely contains npm/GitHub/cloud credentials and deployment tokens, this constitutes credential theft against the installer.

Malicious versions

5 flagged

6.15.06.15.16.15.26.15.36.15.4

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

4ddf64e73d982e41aa077f4f1e098fa2fc3720b699071fee81eb868859c19258

f64965561d446cc09a2a0c449ae39f1a2a3b3969ef0b3f4bc8c37ee1ac3a5057

723058bc35d3709a0c7e143d8e80357528319cc7b5e508174cd49295eaccb0f8

8695d7f6a02b23af8e67fe11891feeec56f8f66754d335ca8a19a7c28c73b62e

cc4af4de022653641e85a995b6e69867a140dea06ff8997092d201b83af8cbab

Detection & response playbook

Credential / info stealer

Find it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for @wethenorth12/etherjs (5 malicious versions).
If you installed it — respond
@wethenorth12/etherjs 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 @wethenorth12/etherjs 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. @wethenorth12/etherjs on npm has been identified as a malicious package (versions 6.15.0, 6.15.1, 6.15.2, 6.15.3, 6.15.4 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

IN-MAL-2026-013458IN-MAL-2026-013456IN-MAL-2026-013455IN-MAL-2026-013459IN-MAL-2026-013457

References

Credits

Amazon Inspector · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks @wethenorth12/etherjs-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

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