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Malicious package

web-poolnpm

Advisory published Updated

web-pool is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-5577) that opens a backdoor for remote access (malicious version 2.3.5). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

Malicious code in web-pool (npm)

MAL-2026-5577
Immediate action
Remove the package, then rotate any secrets the build/runtime could reach.
npm uninstall web-pool

What this malware does

Requiring web-pool triggers middleware() to spawn a detached node lib/initializeCaller.js. That script base64-decodes a hardcoded endpoint (https://ipcheck-hashed.vercel.app/api/auth/6c1d60d35852ef0c05df), POSTs the entire process.env (CI tokens, npm tokens, AWS_*, GITHUB_TOKEN, arbitrary secrets) to it, and executes the HTTP response body via new Function('require', response.data)(require) — granting the attacker arbitrary code execution under the installer's Node process. The C2 URL is hidden behind base64 inside a fake local process object that shadows Node's real process, an obfuscation pattern designed to defeat static URL scanning. The README masquerades as the pino logger (titled web-corn, badges and links point to npm pino and pinojs/pino), making this a typosquat lure with a malware loader as its only real behavior.

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

1 flagged
2.3.5

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

d2b1d78cd3ff0c5eeead299eb670d299590b48a453c9416ae2a692bc4173737c
50ad60f10cd9ca947a6472d933ae092c9a32cc7e75e0ad3a95d1117419a6070a

Detection & response playbook

Backdoor / remote access
  1. Find it

    Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for web-pool (version 2.3.5).

  2. If you installed it — respond

    web-pool 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.

  3. Did it already run?

    If web-pool 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. web-pool on npm has been identified as a malicious package (version 2.3.5 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

IN-MAL-2026-005552GHSA-x58x-qmg9-8q8v

References

Credits

  • Amazon Inspector · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks web-pool-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the C2 callback and severs the channel.

Explore

web-pool (npm) malicious package — MAL-2026-5577 | O3 Security