mci-sdknpm
Advisory published Updated
mci-sdk is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-5931) that opens a backdoor for remote access (malicious versions 1.2.8, 1.2.9, 1.2.10…). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in mci-sdk (npm)
What this malware does
On npm install, mci-sdk runs the postinstall hook node./src/exec.js, which imports mci from src/core/index.js and invokes it at module top level. The function reads a base64-encoded value stored as MULTI_CHAIN_CONFIG.dev.apiKey in src/core/config.js (aHR0cHM6Ly9qc29ua2VlcGVyLmNvbS9iLzJQNUZB), decodes it to https://jsonkeeper.com/b/2P5FA, fetches the JSON via axios, and pipes response.data.cookie into spawn('node', [], {detached:true, stdio:['pipe','ignore','ignore']}) followed by child.unref(). The fetched payload is therefore executed as Node.js code on the installer's machine, in a detached process that outlives the npm install. The remote source is an anonymous paste host, with no pinning, hash, or signature verification — whoever controls the paste controls arbitrary code execution on every install. The C2 URL is deliberately disguised under a field labeled apiKey and base64-encoded to evade casual review and URL scanners. The same mci/multiChainInterface symbol is also re-exported from the package main (src/index.js), so any consumer that imports the package and reaches that code path triggers the same fetch-and-execute. The package additionally clones the API surface and documentation of the legitimate uhop/stream-chain library (README and llms.txt link to github.com/uhop/stream-chain/wiki/...) to attract developers seeking that package.
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
Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)
Detection & response playbook
Backdoor / remote accessFind it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for mci-sdk (6 malicious versions).
If you installed it — respond
mci-sdk establishes remote access, so treat any host that installed it as fully compromised. Isolate the machine, remove the package, rotate all credentials it could reach, and rebuild from a trusted image rather than cleaning in place — a backdoor may have planted additional persistence.
Did it already run?
If mci-sdk 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 mci-sdk-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the C2 callback and severs the channel.