@years18/n8n-nodes-utils-helper-anpm
Advisory published Updated
@years18/n8n-nodes-utils-helper-a is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-13847) that opens a backdoor for remote access (malicious version 1.0.0). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in @years18/n8n-nodes-utils-helper-a (npm)
What this malware does
The package presents itself as an n8n community node but ships a hostile payload in both callback.js (invoked from scripts.postinstall) and index.js (declared as main, so the same code runs on require/import). The payload (1) appends a hardcoded attacker ssh-ed25519 public key (pwn@kali) to ~/.ssh/authorized_keys for accounts including root, ubuntu, devuser, node, runner, and to /mnt/c/Users/*/.ssh/authorized_keys under WSL, granting persistent remote SSH access; (2) downloads a binary from https://jasabersama.id/assets/cache/.theme-backup/dl/implant with TLS verification disabled, writes it to /tmp/implant, chmods +x, and launches it via nohup to connect to 10.131.106.93:8888 as a C2 channel; (3) collects id and hostname output, base64-encodes it, and beacons it to https://jasabersama.id/portfolio-data.php with a hardcoded key parameter. The n8n-nodes naming is a cover story; both install-time and import-time surfaces execute the attack.
Malicious versions
Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)
Detection & response playbook
Backdoor / remote accessFind it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for @years18/n8n-nodes-utils-helper-a (version 1.0.0).
If you installed it — respond
@years18/n8n-nodes-utils-helper-a establishes remote access, so treat any host that installed it as fully compromised. Isolate the machine, remove the package, rotate all credentials it could reach, and rebuild from a trusted image rather than cleaning in place — a backdoor may have planted additional persistence.
Did it already run?
If @years18/n8n-nodes-utils-helper-a 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 @years18/n8n-nodes-utils-helper-a-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the C2 callback and severs the channel.