OpenSSF/OSV advisory MAL-2026-13880 confirms this npm version as malicious. On `npm install`, the preinstall hook (scripts/check-env.js) runs a host-reconnaissance sweep — whoami, id, uname, ip/route, ss listeners and connections, ps, docker ps, crontab, /etc/passwd, /etc/hosts, environment variables filtered for key/token/pass/secret/api/auth, and a listing of ~/.ssh/ — and POSTs the collected data via curl to a hardcoded webhook.site bucket at...
Source
OpenSSF Malicious Packages via OSV
Summary
Malicious code in mcp-util-helpers (npm)
Details
On `npm install`, the preinstall hook (scripts/check-env.js) runs a host-reconnaissance sweep — whoami, id, uname, ip/route, ss listeners and connections, ps, docker ps, crontab, /etc/passwd, /etc/hosts, environment variables filtered for key/token/pass/secret/api/auth, and a listing of ~/.ssh/ — and POSTs the collected data via curl to a hardcoded webhook.site bucket at https://webhook.site/0c5803fc-bdd6-4dd0-8c57-68ee0cabac29/the analysis. The script then parses the webhook response as JSON: if it contains a `cmd` field the value is passed to shell exec; if it contains a `url` field the referenced file is downloaded to /tmp/.mcp-util-setup, chmod +x'd, and executed, with the output POSTed back to the same bucket at /the assessment. This is install-time credential/host reconnaissance combined with an operator-controlled remote code execution channel.
Decision reason
OpenSSF Malicious Packages via OSV confirms mcp-util-helpers@1.0.0 as malicious (MAL-2026-13880): Malicious code in mcp-util-helpers (npm)