cursed-ecto-d3ab00npm
Advisory published Updated
cursed-ecto-d3ab00 is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-10061) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious versions 1.0.0, 1.0.1, 2.0.0…). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in cursed-ecto-d3ab00 (npm)
What this malware does
The package has no legitimate functionality (index.js is an empty module) and exists solely to run an install-time attack payload. All four lifecycle hooks (preinstall.js, install.js, postinstall.js, prepare.js) execute the same shell command via child_process.execSync that recursively scans host filesystem paths (/app, /opt, /root, /home, /srv, /data, /var, /etc, /tmp, /flag*, /) for HTB{...} flag patterns, enumerates flag-named files with their contents, captures env, hostname, id, and pwd, base64-encodes the collected data, and exfiltrates it via HTTPS GET to a hardcoded Cloudflare quick-tunnel endpoint at forward-amber-prairie-ruled.trycloudflare.com. In addition, each lifecycle script fans out HTTP PUT requests to internal hostnames and loopback ports (127.0.0.1:3000/8080/80/5000/4000 and hostnames app, web, frontend, console, ecto, registry, backend, nginx) targeting path /api/modules/ECT-839201 with a crafted ecto_module manifest named PWNED, attempting to register a malicious module on adjacent services reachable from the install environment. Behavior fires unconditionally on npm install.
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 cursed-ecto-d3ab00 (4 malicious versions).
If you installed it — respond
cursed-ecto-d3ab00 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 cursed-ecto-d3ab00 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 cursed-ecto-d3ab00-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.