elephant-array-utilsnpm
Advisory published Updated
elephant-array-utils is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-12369) that typosquats a legitimate package to trick installs (malicious version 1.0.6). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in elephant-array-utils (npm)
What this malware does
index.js is a heavily obfuscated (obfuscator.io: rotated string array + RC4 decoder, control-flow flattening, hex literals) top-level IIFE with no functionality matching the advertised 'array utils' purpose. On require(), it constructs a hardcoded IPv4 address by concatenating four numeric literals, performs an https.get against that host, splits the response on ':' to obtain an IV and ciphertext, decrypts the payload with createDecipheriv using a Buffer-keyed cipher, writes the plaintext to a file under the current working directory, and executes it via child_process.exec with windowsHide:true. This is a canonical remote-payload dropper: any installer that requires the package hands arbitrary-code-execution to whoever controls the hardcoded IP. The obfuscation layer exists to hide the exfil/dropper URL, decryption key and command from static inspection. The generic package name is consistent with a typosquat lure.
Malicious versions
Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)
Detection & response playbook
TyposquatFind it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for elephant-array-utils (version 1.0.6).
If you installed it — respond
elephant-array-utils is a typosquat — you almost certainly intended a legitimately-named package. Remove elephant-array-utils, install the correct package, and rotate any secrets exposed during the install since post-install scripts may have already run.
Did it already run?
If elephant-array-utils 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 elephant-array-utils-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.