dependency_confusionsnpm
Advisory published Updated
dependency_confusions is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-10085) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious version 99.9.9). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in dependency_confusions (npm)
What this malware does
The npm package dependency_confusions version 99.9.9 performs install-time host fingerprint and project path exfiltration. package.json sets index.js as the package main entrypoint and defines postinstall: node index.js. During npm install, index.js builds a JSON payload containing the local username from os.userInfo().username, the current project path from INIT_CWD or process.cwd(), the hostname from os.hostname(), the first non-internal local IPv4 address from os.networkInterfaces(), the platform from os.platform(), and an install timestamp. It then sends that payload with https.request to a webhook.site endpoint. This leaks developer or CI host identity and project path context to an attacker-controlled endpoint without user consent and is typical dependency-confusion reconnaissance behavior.
package.json declares a postinstall hook that runs index.js on npm install. On execution, index.js collects the installer's OS username (os.userInfo()), hostname (os.hostname()), current working directory, local IPv4 address, and platform (os.platform()), then POSTs the collected fields as JSON to a hardcoded webhook.site endpoint (https://webhook.site/264e1903-28ea-48ea-8c55-be58c5a76791). Fires automatically as a lifecycle hook without user consent, matching the classic dependency-confusion reconnaissance beacon: the exfiltrated username/hostname/cwd/localIP reveal internal build hosts and internal package namespaces that an attacker uses to target follow-on dependency-confusion attacks against the victim's private registry.
Malicious versions
Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)
Detection & response playbook
Credential / info stealerFind it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for dependency_confusions (version 99.9.9).
If you installed it — respond
dependency_confusions 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 dependency_confusions 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
- LPM Security Firewall · finder
Detect & block this
O3 blocks dependency_confusions-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.