Which versions of @zeronexcode/baileys are malicious?

The following npm versions of @zeronexcode/baileys are flagged malicious: 7.0.0-zeronex.8. Treat any of these as compromised.

How do I remediate @zeronexcode/baileys if I installed it?

@zeronexcode/baileys 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 @zeronexcode/baileys — how do I know if it already compromised me?

If @zeronexcode/baileys 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 @zeronexcode/baileys part of a known attack campaign?

Yes — @zeronexcode/baileys is associated with the IN-MAL-2026-021454, GHSA-cghr-f3w3-qh2h 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 @zeronexcode/baileys across my projects, lockfiles, and CI pipelines?

Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for @zeronexcode/baileys (version 7.0.0-zeronex.8).

Malicious package

@zeronexcode/baileysnpm

Advisory published Sep 25, 2026Updated Oct 12, 2026

@zeronexcode/baileys is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-17326) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious version 7.0.0-zeronex.8). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

Malicious code in @zeronexcode/baileys (npm)

MAL-2026-17326

Immediate action

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

npm uninstall @zeronexcode/baileys

What this malware does

makeWASocket() in lib/Socket/index.js makes the user's WhatsApp account follow the hardcoded channel 120363427099186895@newsletter whenever a connection opens, with no option to disable it.

This fork of the Baileys WhatsApp library adds an undocumented behavior to its makeWASocket wrapper: on every connection.update event where the connection reaches 'open', it calls sock.newsletterFollow on a hardcoded newsletter JID (120363427099186895@newsletter), subscribing the installer's authenticated WhatsApp account to an author-controlled newsletter with no disclosure and no opt-out. The action fires under the installer's WhatsApp identity as a side effect of using the library's core socket API. Upstream Baileys does not perform this action. No credential theft, environment scraping, remote code execution, filesystem persistence, or data exfiltration is present; the ping/GET pattern flagged in lib/Utils/generics.js is a benign latency/keepalive helper. The observed harm is covert reach-padding under the installer's identity rather than material compromise of the installer's data or host.

Any computer that has this package installed or running should be considered fully compromised. All secrets and keys stored on that computer should be rotated immediately from a different computer. The package should be removed, but as full control of the computer may have been given to an outside entity, there is no guarantee that removing the package will remove all malicious software resulting from installing it.

Malicious versions

1 flagged

7.0.0-zeronex.8

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

ed77130bf7a34aa77306ff8a654c0d51e2c2b68153849d89c100d13430322f88

5dd9996269bfb2b5ea9c5310fed819139eaf2b663e740fc8be34052da1128e4e

Detection & response playbook

Credential / info stealer

Find it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for @zeronexcode/baileys (version 7.0.0-zeronex.8).
If you installed it — respond
@zeronexcode/baileys 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 @zeronexcode/baileys 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. @zeronexcode/baileys on npm has been identified as a malicious package (version 7.0.0-zeronex.8 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

IN-MAL-2026-021454GHSA-cghr-f3w3-qh2h

References

Credits

Amazon Inspector · finder
OX Security · finder
smiling-hyena · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks @zeronexcode/baileys-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