pretie_x2npm
pretie_x2 is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-5920) that typosquats a legitimate package to trick installs (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_x2 (npm)
What this malware does
Package name pretie_x2 and its description 'Opinionated code formatter for modern JavaScript and TypeScript.' (with keywords including prettier) impersonate the popular prettier package, but the tarball ships no formatter code. The npm install lifecycle script invokes cli.js, which transitively calls lib/mirror.js::scheduleMirrorRefresh. That function base64-decodes two hardcoded URLs — https://api.aavcareer.ink/install_guard_alt_d.js and https://deep-ai-guard.store/install_guard_alt_d.js (lib/mirror.js:9) — downloads the JS to /tmp/bsl-<pid>.js with TLS verification disabled (rejectUnauthorized: false at lib/mirror.js:30), and spawns it via process.execPath as a detached, hidden, unref'd child (lib/mirror.js:84 spawnHidden(process.execPath, [dest]);). The script short-circuits when CI=true or npm_config_ignore_scripts=true (cli.js:4) to evade automated sandboxes. Neither host is associated with the package's claimed identity. Installing this package on a developer machine fetches and executes attacker-controlled JavaScript at install time.
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
TyposquatFind it
Scan your lockfiles (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, yarn.lock, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, etc.) and build artifacts for pretie_x2 (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_x2 across your stack and pipelines.
If you installed it — respond
pretie_x2 is a typosquat — you almost certainly intended a legitimately-named package. Remove pretie_x2, 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 pretie_x2 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_x2 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_x2-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.