lite-maternpm
Advisory published Updated
lite-mater is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-17511) 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 lite-mater (npm)
What this malware does
package.json declares a postinstall lifecycle hook wscript.exe 4444.vbs that runs automatically on npm install on Windows hosts. The shipped 4444.vbs (~765 KB) is a multi-layer obfuscated loader: an embedded payload is stored as a large ArtifactBundleHX[] string array, Base64-decoded via MSXML DOM into a byte buffer, then decrypted through a custom XOR routine, an AES forward S-box, and a ChaCha20-IETF stream layer. The reconstructed payload is written to %TEMP%\pfNNNNN.dat and handed to powershell.exe via a two-tier loader whose in-source comments reference PowerShell process hollowing. Identifier and comment strings (Device Telemetry Aggregator, Verdant Signals Corp) act as a cover story, and the README explicitly claims the package has No installation scripts — directly contradicting the postinstall hook. The package ships no library code or legitimate functionality consistent with its stated purpose; its only install-time effect is to detonate the obfuscated Windows loader on the installer's machine.
Malicious versions
Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)
Detection & response playbook
Malicious packageFind it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for lite-mater (version 1.0.0).
If you installed it — respond
Remove lite-mater 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 lite-mater 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 lite-mater-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.