OpenSSF/OSV advisory MAL-2026-12500 confirms this npm version as malicious. warp-drive-internal-tooling@99.9.9 declares a preinstall hook that runs index.js, which on Windows spawns a hidden-window PowerShell process (`powershell -WindowStyle Hidden`) that downloads a zip archive from the anonymous file host files.catbox.moe (https://files.catbox.moe/5khq55.zip), extracts it into %TEMP%, and launches Verification_Tool.exe via Start-Process...
Source
OpenSSF Malicious Packages via OSV
Summary
Malicious code in warp-drive-internal-tooling (npm)
Details
warp-drive-internal-tooling@99.9.9 declares a preinstall hook that runs index.js, which on Windows spawns a hidden-window PowerShell process (`powershell -WindowStyle Hidden`) that downloads a zip archive from the anonymous file host files.catbox.moe (https://files.catbox.moe/5khq55.zip), extracts it into %TEMP%, and launches Verification_Tool.exe via Start-Process. The remote host is an unauthenticated throwaway file service unrelated to the package's stated purpose, the download is unpinned and unverified (no hash, no signature), and the fetched binary is opaque. Because npm auto-runs preinstall on every `npm install`, this results in unattended execution of an attacker-controlled Windows executable on the installer's machine, with concealment (hidden PowerShell window, staging under %TEMP% with a benign 'Verification_Tool' filename) consistent with a dropper rather than a legitimate build step.
Decision reason
OpenSSF Malicious Packages via OSV confirms warp-drive-internal-tooling@99.9.9 as malicious (MAL-2026-12500): Malicious code in warp-drive-internal-tooling (npm)