NIST deprecates RSA-2048 from 2030. Find every one of them before attackers do.
Malicious package

wertybailznpm

Advisory published Updated

wertybailz is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-19033) that executes malicious code on install (malicious versions 1.0.5, 1.0.6, 1.0.8…). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

Malicious code in wertybailz (npm)

MAL-2026-19033
Immediate action
Remove the package, then rotate any secrets the build/runtime could reach.
npm uninstall wertybailz

What this malware does

wertybailz is a fork of the Baileys WhatsApp Web library that silently subscribes the installer's own WhatsApp account to WhatsApp Channels chosen by the publisher. When the socket connects, code in lib/Socket/newsletter.js sends the WhatsApp w:mex FOLLOW query for the channel ID(s) 120363410018949906@newsletter, 120363420757607688@newsletter, 120363425177067841@newsletter, 120363425869049995@newsletter, 120363426748858626@newsletter (stored as base64 strings), using the victim's authenticated session and without telling them. Same behaviour as the PhantomSub family (MAL-2026-17342).

Malicious versions

7 flagged
1.0.51.0.61.0.81.0.91.0.101.0.111.0.13

Detection & response playbook

Malicious package
  1. Find it

    Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for wertybailz (7 malicious versions).

  2. If you installed it — respond

    Remove wertybailz from your project and lockfile, then assume any secrets accessible to the build or runtime were exposed: rotate API keys, tokens, and credentials, and audit for unexpected outbound activity or persistence.

  3. Did it already run?

    If wertybailz 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. wertybailz on npm has been identified as a malicious package (versions 1.0.5, 1.0.6, 1.0.8, 1.0.9, 1.0.10, 1.0.11, 1.0.13 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

References

Credits

  • CyberXYZ · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks wertybailz-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the malicious outbound activity and severs the channel.

Explore

wertybailz (npm) malicious package — MAL-2026-19033 | O3 Security