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Malicious package

date-fmt-utils-helpernpm

Advisory published Updated

date-fmt-utils-helper is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-13947) that opens a backdoor for remote access (malicious version 1.0.0). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

Malicious code in date-fmt-utils-helper (npm)

MAL-2026-13947
Immediate action
Remove the package, then rotate any secrets the build/runtime could reach.
npm uninstall date-fmt-utils-helper

What this malware does

The package presents itself as a date-formatting utility, but its index.js is a trivial cover and a source comment explicitly labels the library as a disguise. The package.json postinstall hook runs node postinstall.js on npm install, which opens a TCP connection to the hardcoded remote host 8.135.48.40:4444 and pipes /bin/sh stdio over the socket, with bash -i >& /dev/tcp/... and python3 pty.spawn fallbacks, giving the remote party interactive shell access on the installer's machine at install time. On failure the script beacons error details via HTTP GET to http://8.135.48.40/shell/failed and /shell/error, confirming the destination is attacker-controlled command-and-control infrastructure.

Malicious versions

1 flagged
1.0.0

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

4ae88f68f30ebd69a595537393ce95c4ce5e543b558572769fa2c608fa1b1b0d

Detection & response playbook

Backdoor / remote access

  1. Find it

    Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for date-fmt-utils-helper (version 1.0.0).

  2. If you installed it — respond

    date-fmt-utils-helper establishes remote access, so treat any host that installed it as fully compromised. Isolate the machine, remove the package, rotate all credentials it could reach, and rebuild from a trusted image rather than cleaning in place — a backdoor may have planted additional persistence.

  3. Did it already run?

    If date-fmt-utils-helper 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. date-fmt-utils-helper on npm has been identified as a malicious package (version 1.0.0 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

IN-MAL-2026-017635

References

Credits

  • Amazon Inspector · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks date-fmt-utils-helper-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the C2 callback and severs the channel.

Malware detection Runtime egress monitoring

Explore

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date-fmt-utils-helper (npm) malicious package — MAL-2026-13947 | O3 Security