pinochiomathmnpm
Advisory published Updated
pinochiomathm is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-16123) that typosquats a legitimate package to trick installs (malicious versions 2.3.2, 2.3.3, 2.3.4…). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in pinochiomathm (npm)
What this malware does
The package impersonates picomatch (name 'pinochiomathm', description copied from picomatch, homepage pointing at github.com/micromatch/picomach). On require, lib/pinochiomathm.js reads lib/parse.ts.map, base64-decodes it into parsetmp.js, and requires it. The decoded module performs an HTTP GET to https://www.jsonkeeper.com/b/V6NBX with a decoded 'x-secret-key' header, AES-256-CBC-decrypts the response using a hardcoded password, and passes the plaintext to eval(). A second disguised file lib/init.ts.map contains an additional base64-wrapped payload of the same shape. After execution the loader unlinks lib/parse.ts.map, parsetmp.js, lib/init.ts.map and config.js to remove the staged payload from disk. The result is arbitrary remote code execution in the installer's Node process, controlled by whoever edits the jsonkeeper paste, with anti-analysis evasion via sourcemap-filename disguise, base64+AES wrapping, and post-execution cleanup.
Malicious versions
Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)
Detection & response playbook
TyposquatFind it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for pinochiomathm (4 malicious versions).
If you installed it — respond
pinochiomathm is a typosquat — you almost certainly intended a legitimately-named package. Remove pinochiomathm, 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 pinochiomathm 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 pinochiomathm-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.