MAL-2026-18900

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Import Source
https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/main/osv/malicious/npm/@skycodee/baileys/MAL-2026-18900.json
JSON Data
https://api.osv.dev/v1/vulns/MAL-2026-18900
Published
2026-10-27T00:00:00Z
Modified
2026-11-09T23:15:16Z
Summary
Malicious code in @skycodee/baileys (npm)
Details

@skycodee/baileys is a fork of the Baileys WhatsApp Web library that silently subscribes the installer's own WhatsApp account to WhatsApp Channels chosen by the publisher. When the socket connects, code in lib/Socket/socket.js sends the WhatsApp w:mex FOLLOW query for a list downloaded at runtime from https://raw.github.com/skyzopedia/NewsletterID/refs/heads/main/VIP_Push.json (the URL itself stored as character-code arrays), using the victim's authenticated session and without telling them. Same behaviour as the PhantomSub family (MAL-2026-17342).

Update 2026-11-06: a second covert path, in every version from 8.0.5 to 8.0.15. lib/Utils/messages-media.js exports loadBase, which makeNewsletterSocket (lib/Socket/newsletter.js) calls on every socket creation as loadBase(newsletterWMexQuery, QueryIds). 80 seconds later it fetches a channel list from a URL stored as base64 and, 5 seconds apart, calls newsletterWMexQuery(id, QueryIds.FOLLOW) for each entry, swallowing errors and logging nothing. lib/Utils/messages-media.js sha256 657662b2ae2e8cc1808715d8219d4e7ca7182f6eacda8d79b1cee4b721c88939 in all eleven (byte-identical to @rixxcodex/baileys 8.2.0); the URL decodes to https://raw.githubusercontent.com/skyzopedia/Screaper/refs/heads/main/idChannel.json. 8.0.5 to 8.0.11 have only this path, so they are added to the affected versions. 8.0.0 to 8.0.4 ship no lib/ directory and are not listed. CyberXYZ read every published version statically from the npm registry tarballs on 2026-11-06 (integrity verified); nothing was executed. Amazon Inspector described the same loadBase loop in @rixxcodex/baileys (MAL-2026-16483).

Database specific 
{
    "iocs": {
        "domains": [
            "raw.github.com",
            "raw.githubusercontent.com"
        ],
        "files": [
            {
                "digests": {
                    "sha256": "06405c29cb4a8dd2596b642a909dc312dcea547624c8a66469ded844214f5dbe"
                },
                "paths": [
                    "lib/Socket/socket.js"
                ]
            },
            {
                "digests": {
                    "sha256": "54b4a5de4d9c5578a33097b5f0400863e1aadd0135bd6e4255be8b0c0558d2d5"
                },
                "paths": [
                    "lib/Socket/socket.js"
                ]
            },
            {
                "digests": {
                    "sha256": "ea57a6770cf2c246e27a5ffe85ffeb496624f9b1582868d5dff184fd6369a394"
                },
                "paths": [
                    "lib/Socket/socket.js"
                ]
            },
            {
                "digests": {
                    "sha256": "657662b2ae2e8cc1808715d8219d4e7ca7182f6eacda8d79b1cee4b721c88939"
                },
                "paths": [
                    "lib/Utils/messages-media.js"
                ]
            }
        ],
        "ips": [],
        "urls": [
            "https://raw.github.com/skyzopedia/NewsletterID/refs/heads/main/VIP_Push.json",
            "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/skyzopedia/Screaper/refs/heads/main/idChannel.json"
        ]
    }
}
References
Credits

Affected packages

npm / @skycodee/baileys

Package

Name
@skycodee/baileys
View open source insights on deps.dev
Purl
pkg:npm/%40skycodee/baileys

Affected ranges

Affected versions

8.*
8.0.5
8.0.6
8.0.7
8.0.8
8.0.9
8.0.10
8.0.11
8.0.12
8.0.13
8.0.14
8.0.15

Database specific

cwes 
[
    {
        "cweId": "CWE-506",
        "description": "The product contains code that appears to be malicious in nature.",
        "name": "Embedded Malicious Code"
    }
]
source 
"https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/main/osv/malicious/npm/@skycodee/baileys/MAL-2026-18900.json"