Which versions of @wethenorth12/playwrite are malicious?

The following npm versions of @wethenorth12/playwrite are flagged malicious: 1.48.0. Treat any of these as compromised.

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

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

If @wethenorth12/playwrite 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/playwrite part of a known attack campaign?

Yes — @wethenorth12/playwrite is associated with the IN-MAL-2026-013443 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/playwrite across my projects, lockfiles, and CI pipelines?

Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for @wethenorth12/playwrite (version 1.48.0).

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

Malicious package

@wethenorth12/playwritenpm

Advisory published Aug 5, 2026Updated Aug 5, 2026

@wethenorth12/playwrite is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-12099) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious version 1.48.0). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

Malicious code in @wethenorth12/playwrite (npm)

MAL-2026-12099

Immediate action

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

npm uninstall @wethenorth12/playwrite

What this malware does

@wethenorth12/playwrite is a typosquat of the popular 'playwright' package. On require(), index.js collects process.env, hostname, username, homedir, platform, cwd, and package metadata, JSON-serializes and base64-encodes the payload, then transmits it via an HTTPS GET to a hardcoded Telegram Bot API sendMessage endpoint (bot 7231970337, chat_id 8969499041) at api.telegram.org. A flag file in tmpdir suppresses re-runs. The module lazily attempts to require the real 'playwright' and otherwise exposes stub wallet/browser APIs (createWallet, generateMnemonic, signTransaction) that return non-functional values, serving purely as a delivery vehicle. Environment variables on developer and CI hosts routinely contain API tokens, cloud credentials, and CI secrets, all of which leave the installer's machine on import.

Malicious versions

1 flagged

1.48.0

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

8e208f50bb22bacadd2c6debf8e973a50ba3a59db74e9c618fa28202eac96a64

Detection & response playbook

Credential / info stealer

Find it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for @wethenorth12/playwrite (version 1.48.0).
If you installed it — respond
@wethenorth12/playwrite 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/playwrite 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/playwrite on npm has been identified as a malicious package (version 1.48.0 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

IN-MAL-2026-013443

References

npmjs.com

Credits

Amazon Inspector · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks @wethenorth12/playwrite-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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