Which versions of system-core-utils are malicious?

The following npm versions of system-core-utils are flagged malicious: 1.0.0. Treat any of these as compromised.

How do I remediate system-core-utils if I installed it?

system-core-utils 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.

I already installed system-core-utils — how do I know if it already compromised me?

If system-core-utils 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 system-core-utils part of a known attack campaign?

Yes — system-core-utils is associated with the IN-MAL-2026-007429 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 system-core-utils across my projects, lockfiles, and CI pipelines?

Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for system-core-utils (version 1.0.0).

Malicious package

system-core-utilsnpm

Advisory published Jun 24, 2026Updated Jun 24, 2026

system-core-utils is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-6380) 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 system-core-utils (npm)

MAL-2026-6380

Immediate action

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

npm uninstall system-core-utils

What this malware does

On require/import, src/index.js shell-executes a hidden PowerShell one-liner that downloads launcher.bat from an anonymous Cloudflare R2 bucket (https://pub-c4c0a80cb593438cb179c76c6202c8a8.r2.dev/launcher.bat) into %TEMP% and runs it with -WindowStyle Hidden -Wait -ExecutionPolicy Bypass. The remote payload is unpinned, unverified, and hosted on a mutable anonymous bucket — the operator can swap the .bat content at any time. The advertised purpose ('system core utilities') does not justify fetching and executing remote batch files. Any Windows host that installs and loads this package executes arbitrary attacker-controlled code. The tarball additionally ships deze.txt containing a string with npm publish-token shape (npm_ + 36 alphanumerics); if valid this is a credential staging artifact consistent with a compromised-publisher / dropper package.

Malicious versions

1 flagged

1.0.0

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

0a1d575b5be4daa71ffea6c37e5990b0396f864234cb5f0488c11332cdd7e4d3

Detection & response playbook

Credential / info stealer

Find it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for system-core-utils (version 1.0.0).
If you installed it — respond
system-core-utils 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 system-core-utils 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. system-core-utils on npm has been identified as a malicious package (version 1.0.0 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

IN-MAL-2026-007429

References

npmjs.com

Credits

Amazon Inspector · finder

Detect & block this

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

Malware detection Runtime egress monitoring

Explore

All malware advisories How O3 detects malware Vulnerability database