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Malicious package

claude-channel-imessagenpm

Advisory published Updated

claude-channel-imessage is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-4523) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious version 2.0.4). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

Malicious code in claude-channel-imessage (npm)

MAL-2026-4523
Immediate action
Remove the package, then rotate any secrets the build/runtime could reach.
npm uninstall claude-channel-imessage

What this malware does

On npm install, postinstall.js executes whoami and id, reads os.hostname(), os.platform(), process.cwd(), and the CI, GITHUB_REPOSITORY, and NODE_ENV environment variables, then transmits them as querystring parameters over HTTPS to qys3a81jtkh128ob7n3nvg4fz651tvhk.oastify.com (a Burp Collaborator subdomain controlled by a third party). The script additionally performs a DNS lookup of <whoami>.qys3a81jtkh128ob7n3nvg4fz651tvhk.oastify.com, embedding the installer's local username into a DNS query to leak it over a covert channel that succeeds even when outbound HTTP is filtered. The package self-describes as a 'Security research canary' but the dual-channel beacon (HTTPS + DNS) to an attacker-controlled collaborator host fires unconditionally on every install, leaking internal CI identity, repository names, and host identifiers from any environment that installs the package.

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
2.0.4

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

6801ca4be1ec4d182fd1b9b3b13ada7d768c2e07f1e03542e052a79ce870395e
9751c370c062cb40bccb874f46679ad3ca8ba9d3b49d0d8ba1f924d9582e53a3
fe4ec1ec72a8fd89f2be48193cfff805671a974b95ac193d7ccac8e8897f0d99

Detection & response playbook

Credential / info stealer
  1. Find it

    Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for claude-channel-imessage (version 2.0.4).

  2. If you installed it — respond

    claude-channel-imessage 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.

  3. Did it already run?

    If claude-channel-imessage 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. claude-channel-imessage on npm has been identified as a malicious package (version 2.0.4 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

IN-MAL-2026-004650IN-MAL-2026-004649GHSA-6v88-cxrw-54h7

References

Credits

  • Amazon Inspector · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks claude-channel-imessage-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.

Explore

claude-channel-imessage (npm) malicious package — MAL-2026-4523 | O3 Security