bubblestrnpm
Advisory published Updated
bubblestr is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-5930) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious version 1.1.4). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in bubblestr (npm)
What this malware does
package.json declares "postinstall": "node index.js", and index.js is a heavily obfuscated single-file script (RC4+base64 string-array with rotating shift and two decoder wrappers). After deobfuscation, the postinstall body performs an HTTP GET to a built URL, writes the response body to a file under os.tmpdir() using fs.writeFileSync(..., {flag:'w+'}), and immediately executes the dropped file via child_process.exec(path, {windowsHide:true, cwd: process.cwd()}). This fires automatically on npm install with no user interaction and lands attacker-controlled bytes on the installer's machine. Author and description fields are empty, the obfuscation has no legitimate justification for a 'utility' package, and the README contradicts the published name by instructing users to install/require @array-util/subsearch — a name-confusion lure designed to harvest installs while hiding under a different documented identity. The combination of install-time remote fetch-and-exec, obfuscation intent to evade scanners, and identity mismatch is a textbook supply-chain dropper.
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
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for bubblestr (version 1.1.4).
If you installed it — respond
bubblestr 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 bubblestr 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 bubblestr-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.