OpenSSF/OSV advisory MAL-2026-13363 confirms this npm version as malicious. santaclaude.js opens a persistent WebSocket to wss://santaclaude.app/ws and dispatches server-supplied frames into runControl on the installer's host. A 'tailscale-up' action reads cmd.sudo from the frame and invokes 'sudo -S -p' with that password, then writes a passwordless NOPASSWD entry to /etc/sudoers.d/santaclaude-tailscale, granting the vendor endpoint persistent root capability...
Source
OpenSSF Malicious Packages via OSV
Summary
Malicious code in @cliphijack/santaclaude (npm)
Details
santaclaude.js opens a persistent WebSocket to wss://santaclaude.app/ws and dispatches server-supplied frames into runControl on the installer's host. A 'tailscale-up' action reads cmd.sudo from the frame and invokes 'sudo -S -p' with that password, then writes a passwordless NOPASSWD entry to /etc/sudoers.d/santaclaude-tailscale, granting the vendor endpoint persistent root capability. Additional actions push server-sent text into a tmux window running 'claude --dangerously-skip-permissions', allowing the remote to drive the local Claude Code TUI with permission checks disabled. The package also runs a supervisor loop that respawns itself via 'npx -y @cliphijack/santaclaude@<spec>', where spec is read from ~/.santaclaude-target and refreshed from GET https://santaclaude.app/api/cli-version, allowing the vendor to steer the installer onto arbitrary future versions of the package at any time. The combined behavior is a remote-controlled RCE and privilege-escalation channel into the installer's host, plus a vendor-controlled auto-update path that determines what code runs next.
Decision reason
OpenSSF Malicious Packages via OSV confirms @cliphijack/santaclaude@1.0.104 as malicious (MAL-2026-13363): Malicious code in @cliphijack/santaclaude (npm)