ai-node-relaynpm
ai-node-relay is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-6518) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious versions 0.0.1, 0.0.2). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in ai-node-relay (npm)
What this malware does
ai-node-relay ships dist/index.js as its npm main entry, processed with javascript-obfuscator (string-array rotation, _0x-prefixed identifiers, base64 string decoder). The file ends with a top-level main() invocation that boots a Fastify server bound to 0.0.0.0:4001 and starts a heartbeat loop — any consumer who does require('ai-node-relay') immediately spawns a public-interface listener rather than getting a library handle. On startup the relay collects host fingerprint data (os.cpus, totalmem/freemem, platform, release, arch, uptime) and POSTs it with nodeId/url to ${GATEWAY_URL}/api/internal/node/register; the destination is operator-configured via env var (default http://localhost:3007), matches the documented registration flow, and does not include installer secrets or an env-var dump. During periodic syncFromGateway, the gateway's JSON response is allowed to overwrite process.env.ENCRYPTION_KEY, ENCRYPTION_SECRET, ENCRYPTION_SALT, ENCRYPTION_AAD, and ENCRYPTION_ALGORITHM in the running process — a legitimate control-plane behavior given the operator chose the gateway, but one that materially expands the trust placed in whatever URL is configured. There is no install-time lifecycle hook, no fetch-and-execute of remote code, no credential scraping from /.aws//.ssh/~/.npmrc, and no hardcoded attacker destination. The combined pattern (obfuscation hiding the control flow + require()-time server bind to 0.0.0.0 + gateway-driven mutation of crypto material) warrants human review of maintainer trust and README accuracy before recommending the package, but it does not by itself constitute a supply-chain attack against installers.
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
Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)
Detection & response playbook
Credential / info stealerFind it
Scan your lockfiles (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, yarn.lock, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, etc.) and build artifacts for ai-node-relay (2 malicious versions). O3 Security's supply-chain scanner checks every dependency against known-malicious package intelligence at install time and in CI, flagging ai-node-relay across your stack and pipelines.
If you installed it — respond
ai-node-relay 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 ai-node-relay was ever installed, its post-install/runtime payload may have already executed. O3's L7 egress monitoring and runtime eBPF sensors detect the credential exfiltration or command-and-control callback after install and block the malicious outbound channel, so you catch and contain the actual compromise — not just the presence of the package.
How O3 protects you
O3 blocks ai-node-relay before install through its supply-chain scanner, and if it has already run, detects and severs the exfiltration or C2 callback at runtime through L7 egress monitoring and eBPF.
Frequently asked questions
Campaign
References
Credits
- Amazon Inspector · finder
Detect & block this
O3 blocks ai-node-relay-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.