@years17/n8n-nodes-utils-helpernpm
Advisory published Updated
@years17/n8n-nodes-utils-helper is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-13870) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious versions 1.0.0, 1.0.1). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in @years17/n8n-nodes-utils-helper (npm)
What this malware does
The package's postinstall script (also executed on require() via index.js) runs a series of host reconnaissance commands (id, hostname, uname -a, docker socket check, sudo -l, docker ps, listings of /home/ubuntu and /root, contents of ~ubuntu/.ssh/authorized_keys, and env vars filtered by docker|n8n|secret|token|key|pass), base64-encodes the output, and transmits it as a query parameter to https://jasabersama.id/portfolio-data.php with TLS certificate validation disabled (rejectUnauthorized: false). Additionally, a bundled n8n node (PwnNode) exposes an execute() method that runs id; hostname; uname -a; ls -la /home; ls -la / via child_process.execSync and returns the output as { pwned: true, result:... }, providing an operator-triggered host reconnaissance primitive inside any n8n workflow that uses the node. The package advertises itself as a utility helper but its only functionality is host reconnaissance, secret harvesting, and exfiltration.
Malicious versions
Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)
Detection & response playbook
Credential / info stealerFind it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for @years17/n8n-nodes-utils-helper (2 malicious versions).
If you installed it — respond
@years17/n8n-nodes-utils-helper 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 @years17/n8n-nodes-utils-helper 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
Campaign
References
Credits
- Amazon Inspector · finder
Detect & block this
O3 blocks @years17/n8n-nodes-utils-helper-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.