wallet-connect-adapternpm
Advisory published Updated
wallet-connect-adapter is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-17179) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious version 1.4.2). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in wallet-connect-adapter (npm)
What this malware does
The package's postinstall hook runs node./loader.js, which base64-decodes an ~8 KB embedded blob, XOR-decrypts it with a hardcoded 32-byte key, and pipes the resulting bytes into a detached, window-hidden python -c - child process via stdin. The loader also silently pip installs requests if missing. The advertised library surface in index.js is an explicit stub whose connect() throws, and package.json restricts installation to os: ["win32"], so the tarball has no functional wallet-adapter behavior — its only effect on install is to execute the obfuscated Python payload on a Windows developer's machine. The combination of a hidden opaque payload, XOR-obfuscated delivery, detached hidden Python execution at npm install time, an inert cover-story main module, and OS pinning to Windows is a targeted install-time dropper.
Malicious versions
Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)
Detection & response playbook
Credential / info stealerFind it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for wallet-connect-adapter (version 1.4.2).
If you installed it — respond
wallet-connect-adapter 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 wallet-connect-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
Detect & block this
O3 blocks wallet-connect-adapter-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.