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Malicious package

sync-externalnpm

Malicious code in sync-external (npm) Remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

MAL-2026-6336
Immediate action
Remove the package, then rotate any secrets the build/runtime could reach.
npm uninstall sync-external

What this malware does

The package ships an obfuscated JavaScript file at shim/index.js using hex-style identifier mangling (_0x391f3f, _0x3eff0a, _0x534564, etc.) characteristic of javascript-obfuscator output. Obfuscation alone is not proof of malicious intent — some publishers obfuscate for anti-tampering or anti-piracy reasons — but it prevents reliable assessment of the file's runtime behavior, and contextual tracing of the obfuscated code path was not available. No concrete evidence of credential exfiltration, install-time fetch-and-execute, silent-relay of caller data, or hardcoded attacker C2 was observed, but the inability to verify what the obfuscated shim does at load/use time leaves the residual risk unresolved. Recommend human review of the de-obfuscated content before trusting this package in a build pipeline.

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

3 flagged
1.6.01.6.11.6.2

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

9eba02cd977686ab88190a2b6adbf6cac674273f223ff2b2da59d6fe94fe3da6
8d8956b9f24ef06b1eb1b055b0e2cf3bc6702008feb964f74bd2939902c0fc6b
91baacbbae3abfb5a5c5c788d08ea925e9bcdf5cfa38f4865994b28f1668e38f
dc297a0deaba794fdbfccc280a79c7cc895f21fc4e0122b1fba1bc4759b66c3f

Detection & response playbook

Credential / info stealer
  1. Find it

    Scan your lockfiles (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, yarn.lock, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, etc.) and build artifacts for sync-external (3 malicious versions). O3 Security's supply-chain scanner checks every dependency against known-malicious package intelligence at install time and in CI, flagging sync-external across your stack and pipelines.

  2. If you installed it — respond

    sync-external 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.

  3. Did it already run?

    If sync-external 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.

  4. How O3 protects you

    O3 blocks sync-external 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

No. sync-external on npm has been identified as a malicious package (versions 1.6.0, 1.6.1, 1.6.2 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

GHSA-vrc4-g2p2-9895IN-MAL-2026-007369IN-MAL-2026-007368IN-MAL-2026-007370

References

Credits

  • Amazon Inspector · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks sync-external-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.