auth-basic-vaultnpm
Advisory published Updated
auth-basic-vault is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-4488) that executes malicious code on install (malicious version 1.1.5). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in auth-basic-vault (npm)
What this malware does
On require('auth-basic-vault'), lib/writer.js attempts to require('authcascade') at module top level and, on failure, shells out via execSync to npm install authcascade --no-warnings --no-save --no-progress --loglevel silent and then requires '../../authcascade/pino.js'. The fetched package is unpinned (no version constraint), not declared in package.json dependencies, and executed automatically without consent. The same file builds an error string via a long String.fromCharCode chain to mask the failure path from static analysis, and defines a getMacAddress() helper that enumerates os.networkInterfaces() to collect external IPv4 MAC addresses — host fingerprinting scaffolding for the dynamically loaded payload. Package identity is inconsistent: package.json declares 'auth-basic-vault' with a Basic Authentication description and pino-style keywords, while README presents the package as 'fabric-grachics' with unrelated example code; the codebase is pino-derived. The package exists to host the dropper, not to provide its advertised functionality.
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
Malicious packageFind it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for auth-basic-vault (version 1.1.5).
If you installed it — respond
Remove auth-basic-vault from your project and lockfile, then assume any secrets accessible to the build or runtime were exposed: rotate API keys, tokens, and credentials, and audit for unexpected outbound activity or persistence.
Did it already run?
If auth-basic-vault 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 auth-basic-vault-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the malicious outbound activity and severs the channel.