Which versions of hwc0v are malicious?

The following RubyGems versions of hwc0v are flagged malicious: 0.0.1. Treat any of these as compromised.

How do I remediate hwc0v if I installed it?

Remove hwc0v 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.

I already installed hwc0v — how do I know if it already compromised me?

If hwc0v 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 hwc0v part of a known attack campaign?

Yes — hwc0v is associated with the RLMA-2026-02419, RLUA-2026-08222 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 hwc0v across my projects, lockfiles, and CI pipelines?

Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for hwc0v (version 0.0.1).

Malicious package

hwc0vRubyGems

Advisory published Jul 7, 2026Updated Sep 24, 2026

hwc0v is a confirmed malicious RubyGems package (MAL-2026-7768) that executes malicious code on install (malicious version 0.0.1). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

Malicious code in hwc0v (RubyGems)

MAL-2026-7768

Immediate action

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

gem uninstall hwc0v

Malicious versions

1 flagged

0.0.1

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

39db216dba5580ff037832d562d3df62269d28b077a896869b5cadd295c6126f

e7a5930168adf558c864f271610ebddf6eec1dde51253dfdda6aa5d9083dc8b8

Detection & response playbook

Malicious package

Find it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for hwc0v (version 0.0.1).
If you installed it — respond
Remove hwc0v 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.
Did it already run?
If hwc0v 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. hwc0v on RubyGems has been identified as a malicious package (version 0.0.1 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

RLMA-2026-02419RLUA-2026-08222

References

github.com

Credits

ReversingLabs · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks hwc0v-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.

Malware detection Runtime egress monitoring

Explore

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