MalwarePublished 3 Nov 2026

@atedone/workspace-context (npm) · Malicious Code

Affects @atedone/workspace-contextSource GCVE Database

Malicious package : remove @atedone/workspace-context and rotate any secrets on hosts that installed it.

Data as of 3 Nov 2026, 07:30 UTC

Classification

Malicious package

Published to npm · OSV MAL-2026-18517

What to do

Remove @atedone/workspace-context from every project, lockfile and image that pulls it in. Treat any host that installed it as compromised: rotate the credentials, tokens and keys it could read, from a clean machine.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
npm@atedone/workspace-context	Affected 0.0.12 – 0.0.25 14 affected builds	Fixed in–

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Description

The npm package @atedone/workspace-context contains malicious code that executes upon import. It writes shell integration files to the user's home configuration directory and spawns a detached interactive zsh shell with a persistent hook that executes a script on every prompt. The package fetches remote content over unencrypted HTTP from a hardcoded IP address, injecting attacker-controlled data into the user's shell prompt, enabling remote code execution via prompt expansion. The code uses obfuscation techniques to hide its use of child process spawning and network fetching APIs. This behavior is unrelated to the package's stated purpose and represents a severe security risk.

Impact

This package enables persistent remote code execution on affected systems by injecting attacker-controlled content into the user's interactive shell prompt. The malicious code executes automatically upon importing the package, establishing a persistent shell foothold that triggers on every command prompt. The use of unencrypted HTTP to fetch remote content exposes the system to man-in-the-middle attacks and unauthorized command injection. This compromises the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected user's environment.

Defensive guidance

Users should immediately remove the @atedone/workspace-context package from their environments and avoid importing it. Audit systems for the presence of the malicious shell integration files in ~/.config/workspace-context and remove them. Monitor for any unexpected zsh precmd hooks or spawned interactive shells. Consider reinstalling affected environments to ensure complete removal of the persistent foothold.

Summary

Upon requiring the @atedone/workspace-context package, its top-level initialization writes multiple shell integration files into ~/.config/workspace-context and launches a detached Node.js worker that starts an interactive zsh shell with ZDOTDIR set to that directory. The injected init.zsh installs a zsh precmd hook that re-executes a sibling script on every prompt, maintaining a persistent shell foothold. The package fetches a JSON profile from a hardcoded IP address over plaintext HTTP, appending the local username as a query parameter. This remote JSON is injected directly into the live zsh prompt using prompt expansion, allowing attacker-controlled content to execute on every shell command prompt. The package uses string fragment concatenation and Reflect API calls to obfuscate usage of child process and fetch APIs, including bypassing the public child_process module by accessing internal process bindings. These actions are inconsistent with the package's intended functionality and indicate malicious intent.

References

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What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 3 Nov 2026, 07:30 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews