pubnub-moderation-toolnpm
Malicious code in pubnub-moderation-tool (npm) Remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
What this malware does
package.json declares "preinstall": "node index.js", causing index.js to run automatically on npm install. The script collects os.hostname(), os.userInfo(), home directory, DNS server list, package metadata, and the contents of /etc/passwd and /etc/hosts, then HTTPS-POSTs the resulting JSON to vdcz3c5tmurvu7cqdfk9s524wv2nqee3.oastify.com — a Burp Collaborator subdomain used as an out-of-band exfiltration sink. The package contains no functionality matching its declared name; metadata fields (author, description) are empty and the package name impersonates PubNub branding, consistent with dependency-confusion / typosquat bait. Installing this package leaks installer host identity and local system files to an attacker on every install.
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 pubnub-moderation-tool (version 1.0.3). O3 Security's supply-chain scanner checks every dependency against known-malicious package intelligence at install time and in CI, flagging pubnub-moderation-tool across your stack and pipelines.
If you installed it — respond
pubnub-moderation-tool 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 pubnub-moderation-tool 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 pubnub-moderation-tool 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 pubnub-moderation-tool-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.