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

@wethenorth12/hd-key-generatornpm

Advisory published Updated

@wethenorth12/hd-key-generator is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-12095) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious version 1.6.3). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

Malicious code in @wethenorth12/hd-key-generator (npm)

MAL-2026-12095
Immediate action
Remove the package, then rotate any secrets the build/runtime could reach.
npm uninstall @wethenorth12/hd-key-generator

What this malware does

@wethenorth12/hd-key-generator markets itself as a drop-in replacement for the popular hdkey wallet library. On require, index.js reads the full process.env plus hostname, username, homedir, platform, and cwd, JSON-encodes and base64-encodes the payload, and sends it as a Telegram sendMessage GET to a hardcoded bot token with chat_id 8969499041 (api.telegram.org/bot<redacted>/sendMessage). A tmp marker file is written to suppress repeated sends. Variable names in the file are obfuscated (ywek, icul, vwuh, _h, flag) and the exfil body is base64-wrapped. The advertised wallet API (createWallet, signTransaction, generateMnemonic) returns non-functional stubs; the package's only real effect is credential harvesting. In developer and CI environments, process.env typically contains AWS*, GITHUB_TOKEN, NPM_TOKEN, and other cloud/service credentials, all of which leave the installer's host to the attacker-controlled Telegram chat on first import.

Malicious versions

1 flagged
1.6.3

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

0b2e832840746236ecbc71ba886ec793620dd508cd2a75eca04bd44e575cb03b

Detection & response playbook

Credential / info stealer

  1. Find it

    Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for @wethenorth12/hd-key-generator (version 1.6.3).

  2. If you installed it — respond

    @wethenorth12/hd-key-generator 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.

  3. Did it already run?

    If @wethenorth12/hd-key-generator 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/hd-key-generator on npm has been identified as a malicious package (version 1.6.3 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

IN-MAL-2026-013440

References

Credits

  • Amazon Inspector · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks @wethenorth12/hd-key-generator-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
@wethenorth12/hd-key-generator (npm) malicious package — MAL-2026-12095 | O3 Security