OpenSSF/OSV advisory MAL-2026-6457 confirms this npm version as malicious. The package's main entry `index.js` is the only file of substance and is wrapped in obfuscator.io string-array + RC4 obfuscation that hides every literal (module names, URL octets, exec arguments). On require(), the deobfuscated code assembles a bare-IP HTTP URL by concatenating four octets via `.concat('.')`, performs an HTTP GET, writes the response body into `os.tmpdir()` via...
Source
OpenSSF Malicious Packages via OSV
Summary
Malicious code in subsearch (npm)
Details
The package's main entry `index.js` is the only file of substance and is wrapped in obfuscator.io string-array + RC4 obfuscation that hides every literal (module names, URL octets, exec arguments). On require(), the deobfuscated code assembles a bare-IP HTTP URL by concatenating four octets via `.concat('.')`, performs an HTTP GET, writes the response body into `os.tmpdir()` via `fs.writeFileSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), <name>), I.data, {flag:'w+'})`, and immediately executes the dropped file with `child_process.exec(..., {windowsHide:true, cwd: os.tmpdir()})`. `process.on('uncaughtException',...)` is registered to suppress errors. `package.json` has empty description, empty author, no repository, no homepage — the package advertises no functionality; its only effect on import is the dropper. The bare-IP destination has no TLS, no pinning, and no signature verification, so the attacker can swap the executed payload at any time.
## Source: ghsa-malware (6d135b4daa11056ea232c298415f7b256c1df8446f0537ba896480ea152e18dd) 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.
Decision reason
OpenSSF Malicious Packages via OSV confirms subsearch@1.0.2 as malicious (MAL-2026-6457): Malicious code in subsearch (npm)