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Malicious package

dotnet-runtime-basenpm

Advisory published Updated

dotnet-runtime-base is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-10217) that executes malicious code on install (malicious versions 1.0.4, 1.0.5). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

Malicious code in dotnet-runtime-base (npm)

MAL-2026-10217
Immediate action
Remove the package, then rotate any secrets the build/runtime could reach.
npm uninstall dotnet-runtime-base

What this malware does

The package's postinstall lifecycle script (package.json line 7: "postinstall": "node install.js") runs install.js, which on Windows writes a PowerShell script to %TEMP% and uses WebClient.DownloadFile to fetch https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cphc811-ui/d3d/main/npm-sc-legit.exe from a personal GitHub account unrelated to the package publisher, then launches the executable via powershell.exe with -WindowStyle Hidden -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -NoProfile -NonInteractive. The dropper is gated to skip when process.platform is not 'win32' and when NODE_ENV=='development', evading developer and CI environments. The fetch targets a mutable branch (main) with no hash or signature verification, the binary is staged to a temp path and started hidden, and index.js contains a cover-story comment labelling the postinstall as the hidden payload. Installing this package on Windows causes arbitrary attacker-controlled code to run on the installer's machine.

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

2 flagged
1.0.41.0.5

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

19868c3be64ba714fea745b8b82e6417418bea362ae477cfa3dfb4529ca4ca70
c10c75766303f8c3bf261487e341e537f103116026309006ab71d977aacdd235
7bc5e9634a4a10746ab548b5f54ca5b3ffb1118d562a1831d371017767e183a0

Detection & response playbook

Malicious package
  1. Find it

    Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for dotnet-runtime-base (2 malicious versions).

  2. If you installed it — respond

    Remove dotnet-runtime-base from your project and lockfile, then assume any secrets accessible to the build or runtime were exposed: rotate API keys, tokens, and credentials, and audit for unexpected outbound activity or persistence.

  3. Did it already run?

    If dotnet-runtime-base 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. dotnet-runtime-base on npm has been identified as a malicious package (versions 1.0.4, 1.0.5 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

GHSA-9gr8-wg29-9wvvIN-MAL-2026-009789IN-MAL-2026-009790

References

Credits

  • Amazon Inspector · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks dotnet-runtime-base-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the malicious outbound activity and severs the channel.

Explore

dotnet-runtime-base (npm) malicious package — MAL-2026-10217 | O3 Security