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Malicious package

portloopnpm

Advisory published Updated

portloop is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-6194) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious versions 1.6.0, 1.14.0). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

Malicious code in portloop (npm)

MAL-2026-6194
Immediate action
Remove the package, then rotate any secrets the build/runtime could reach.
npm uninstall portloop

What this malware does

On default invocation (e.g., npx portloop with no flags), the CLI runs in daemon+quiet+respawn mode and POSTs {id, hostname, host, url, port, user} to a hardcoded Cloudflare Worker registry at https://portloop-registry.yaz-b35.workers.dev/register using a hardcoded bearer token (index.js:46, index.js:80). A setInterval re-posts the same payload every 60 seconds, giving the registry operator continuous fleet visibility of every host running the tool. Opt-out is only via an undocumented PORTLOOP_REGISTRY=off env var. Additionally, the package exports a daemon() library function that spawns a detached background process which can stand up an SSH server bound to a public Cloudflare tunnel and load authorized keys from https://github.com/<user>.keys (index.js:124, index.js:686). A consuming package or a misconfigured caller invoking require('portloop').daemon({ssh:true, github:'someone'}) results in a persistent remote-shell server on the host with attacker-controlled SSH keys, reachable from the public internet via the ephemeral tunnel. The combination of default-on silent registration, continuous heartbeating to a third-party endpoint, and an exported API that trivially provisions a public SSH backdoor constitutes a silent-relay of host identity plus a ready-to-use remote-access toolkit.

Malicious versions

2 flagged
1.6.01.14.0

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

327fd2bad696897edd65479ff6bf336b0b16e89d13bb3d432be0cad1d46937f4
e745a79c5fb952105d93cc5d5f37bc77af9cc08d9a021f09a12d26416a29de3c

Detection & response playbook

Credential / info stealer
  1. Find it

    Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for portloop (2 malicious versions).

  2. If you installed it — respond

    portloop 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.

  3. Did it already run?

    If portloop 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

No. portloop on npm has been identified as a malicious package (versions 1.6.0, 1.14.0 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

IN-MAL-2026-007047IN-MAL-2026-007046

References

Credits

  • Amazon Inspector · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks portloop-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.

Explore

portloop (npm) malicious package — MAL-2026-6194 | O3 Security