Which versions of ref-selector are malicious?

The following npm versions of ref-selector are flagged malicious: 100.0.0. Treat any of these as compromised.

How do I remediate ref-selector if I installed it?

Remove ref-selector from your project and lockfile, then assume any secrets accessible to the build or runtime were exposed: rotate API keys, tokens, and credentials, and audit for unexpected outbound activity or persistence.

I already installed ref-selector — how do I know if it already compromised me?

If ref-selector 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.

Is ref-selector part of a known attack campaign?

Yes — ref-selector is associated with the RLMA-2026-01540 campaign. Packages in the same campaign often share infrastructure and payloads, so check whether any related packages are also in your dependency tree.

How do I find ref-selector across my projects, lockfiles, and CI pipelines?

Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for ref-selector (version 100.0.0).

Malicious package

ref-selectornpm

Advisory published Mar 18, 2026Updated Mar 23, 2026

ref-selector is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-1840) that executes malicious code on install (malicious version 100.0.0). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

Malicious code in ref-selector (npm)

MAL-2026-1840

Immediate action

Remove the package, then rotate any secrets the build/runtime could reach.

npm uninstall ref-selector

What this malware does

The package ref-selector was found to contain malicious code.

Malicious versions

1 flagged

100.0.0

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

1091638837813c44ee621264c593a7f1e1c04fee54b3ee51d7d4360a84e6c819

0eccb0ad0032090e5db9e517390d5f67fec7413858f4422498155a54ed1260ce

Detection & response playbook

Malicious package

Find it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for ref-selector (version 100.0.0).
If you installed it — respond
Remove ref-selector from your project and lockfile, then assume any secrets accessible to the build or runtime were exposed: rotate API keys, tokens, and credentials, and audit for unexpected outbound activity or persistence.
Did it already run?
If ref-selector 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. ref-selector on npm has been identified as a malicious package (version 100.0.0 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

RLMA-2026-01540

Credits

Amazon Inspector · finder
ReversingLabs · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks ref-selector-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.

Malware detection Runtime egress monitoring

Explore

All malware advisories How O3 detects malware Vulnerability database