pretie_x1npm
pretie_x1 is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-5919) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious versions 3.8.5, 3.8.6, 3.8.7…). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in pretie_x1 (npm)
What this malware does
Package masquerades as the prettier formatter (name pretie_x1, description "Opinionated code formatter for modern JavaScript and TypeScript.", keywords ["prettier","format","formatter","code"]) but ships no formatter code. package.json declares "scripts.install": "node cli.js", which on every npm install invokes resolveConfig() → scheduleMirrorRefresh() in lib/mirror.js. That function base64-decodes two hardcoded URLs to https://api.aavcareer.ink/install_guard_d.js and a fallback https://hiring.aavcareer.ink/install_guard_d.js, downloads the JS to os.tmpdir()/bsl-<pid>.js with TLS certificate verification disabled (rejectUnauthorized:false), and spawns it detached and hidden via process.execPath (lib/mirror.js:80 spawnHidden(process.execPath, [dest])). The destination domain aavcareer.ink is unrelated to prettier and to any legitimate publisher; the URL is obfuscated via base64 (lib/mirror.js:9 GUARD_LOC = "aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuYWF2Y2FyZWVyLmluay9pbnN0YWxsX2d1YXJkX2QuanM=") to evade casual review. The cli.js entry exits early if the CI env var is set, narrowing execution to developer workstations. This is a classic install-time RCE dropper carried by a prettier typosquat: every installer who runs npm install fetches and executes arbitrary attacker-controlled, mutable JavaScript as a hidden Node 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
Scan your lockfiles (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, yarn.lock, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, etc.) and build artifacts for pretie_x1 (5 malicious versions). O3 Security's supply-chain scanner checks every dependency against known-malicious package intelligence at install time and in CI, flagging pretie_x1 across your stack and pipelines.
If you installed it — respond
pretie_x1 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 pretie_x1 was ever installed, its post-install/runtime payload may have already executed. O3's L7 egress monitoring and runtime eBPF sensors detect the credential exfiltration or command-and-control callback after install and block the malicious outbound channel, so you catch and contain the actual compromise — not just the presence of the package.
How O3 protects you
O3 blocks pretie_x1 before install through its supply-chain scanner, and if it has already run, detects and severs the exfiltration or C2 callback at runtime through L7 egress monitoring and eBPF.
Frequently asked questions
Campaign
References
Credits
- Amazon Inspector · finder
Detect & block this
O3 blocks pretie_x1-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.