merge-grid-statsnpm
Advisory published Updated
merge-grid-stats is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-13484) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious versions 1.0.0, 1.0.1, 1.1.0…). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in merge-grid-stats (npm)
What this malware does
Package advertises itself as a 2048-style grid game statistics utility, but its declared postinstall hook (node install-cb.js) executes on npm install and performs behavior unrelated to that purpose. The postinstall shells out via execSync to run uname -a and id, reads /proc/1/cgroup and /proc/mounts, inspects Linux capabilities, checks for /var/run/docker.sock, and reads the Kubernetes service-account token and namespace at /var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount/. It also enumerates /, /root, /root/projects, performs a host write-test, inspects network configuration, and greps the process environment for variables matching token|secret|key|password|db_|redis|s3 and related patterns. The collected data (including the k8s SA token length and env keys) is written to NCODE_ESCAPE.txt in the current working directory and two parent directories. Author metadata is placeholder-shaped (merge-tools <[email protected]>) and the README/behavior mismatch indicates a cover-story shape. The install-time read of an installer-owned Kubernetes service-account token plus environment secret enumeration constitutes installer-side credential access and container-escape reconnaissance staging.
Malicious versions
Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)
Detection & response playbook
Credential / info stealerFind it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for merge-grid-stats (7 malicious versions).
If you installed it — respond
merge-grid-stats is built to steal secrets, so assume every credential the build or runtime could read is compromised. Remove it from your project and lockfile, then rotate ALL exposed secrets — npm/registry tokens, cloud keys, CI/CD secrets, SSH keys, and any .env values — from a known-clean machine. Audit logs for unauthorized use of those credentials.
Did it already run?
If merge-grid-stats 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 merge-grid-stats-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.