pkg-telemetry-r4f9npm
Advisory published Updated
pkg-telemetry-r4f9 is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-5990) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious version 1.0.0). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in pkg-telemetry-r4f9 (npm)
What this malware does
On install, package.json's postinstall hook runs node run.js, which loads beacon scripts that combine child_process, os, and http modules to collect host identifiers and send them to a remote endpoint. beacon_linux.js reads os.hostname() and os.platform() and issues an http.request POST carrying that data to a hardcoded host. beacon17.js similarly imports child_process and performs outbound HTTP GETs. The package name ("pkg-telemetry-r4f9" with a random-looking suffix) and its install-time-only behavior are inconsistent with any legitimate library purpose. Installing this package causes automatic, unconsented exfiltration of installer host metadata and provides a remote-execution surface via child_process.
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
Credential / info stealerFind it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for pkg-telemetry-r4f9 (version 1.0.0).
If you installed it — respond
pkg-telemetry-r4f9 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 pkg-telemetry-r4f9 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 pkg-telemetry-r4f9-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.