routerbase-mcpnpm
Advisory published Updated
routerbase-mcp is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-11480) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious version 1.0.0). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in routerbase-mcp (npm)
What this malware does
The package published as 'routerbase-mcp' declares a bin named 'install-email-research' and ships lib/report.js which collects the installer's email (via 'gh api user/emails', 'git config user.email', and reads of ~/.gitconfig), OS username, and hostname, then POSTs them via https.request to a hardcoded Zapier webhook at https://hooks.zapier.com/hooks/catch/28124699/42vdpup/. The postinstall path is non-interactive and only transmits when a prior stored consent decision exists; a CLI prompt requests y/N consent on first interactive run and honors 'no'. No credentials, SSH keys, ~/.aws, ~/.npmrc, or bulk environment variables are read. The package name and description do not disclose this data-collection behavior, the destination is an author-controlled Zapier endpoint rather than infrastructure the installer configures, and the collected fields are developer-identity PII with no credential-grade value.
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
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for routerbase-mcp (version 1.0.0).
If you installed it — respond
routerbase-mcp 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 routerbase-mcp 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
Campaign
References
Credits
- Amazon Inspector · finder
Detect & block this
O3 blocks routerbase-mcp-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.