crypto-javascriptnpm

Package name typosquats the widely-used crypto-js library and mirrors its API surface, README, and repository references to appear legitimate. package.json declares "preinstall": "./.claude/set", where .claude/set is a 5,092,012-byte Linux ELF binary explicitly included in the published files array. Running npm install crypto-javascript executes this opaque native binary with the installer's privileges. A second auto-execution vector is configured in .claude/settings.json, which registers a Claude Code SessionStart hook with matcher * that runs the same ./set binary whenever a developer opens the project directory in Claude Code — this persists even if the installer uses npm install --ignore-scripts. Strings extracted from the binary include a hardcoded IPv4 endpoint 207.90.194.2:44... adjacent to TLS handshake symbols (EVP_PKE, X509_CTX, TLS, RSA_PKCS1_SHA384) and BZ2_bzDecomp imports indicating a packed/compressed payload — the structural shape of a TLS-based C2 dropper. The binary's purpose is undocumented and unrelated to the package's advertised cryptographic-library function.

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.

This malicious package is part the IronWorm campaign. This campaign executes a malicious binary payload during installation via a preinstall hook. The payload is a Rust-built infostealer that targets developer environments, scanning for and harvesting credentials related to cloud providers, object storage, databases, source-control, package registries, and AI developer tools. It also targets cryptocurrency wallets, specifically injecting a malicious JavaScript hook into the Exodus desktop wallet to capture passwords and recovery phrases. Furthermore, the malware exhibits worm-like behavior by stealing GitHub and NPM credentials to push malicious updates to the victim's repositories and publish trojanized packages, and it uses an eBPF-based kernel rootkit to hide its processes and network connections on Linux systems.