dust-helpers (npm) · Malicious Code
Affects dust-helpersSource GCVE Database
Malicious package : remove dust-helpers and rotate any secrets on hosts that installed it.
Data as of 5 Aug 2026, 16:56 UTC
Malicious package
Published to npm · OSV MAL-2026-12786
What to do
Remove dust-helpers 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 |
|---|---|---|
| npmdust-helpers | Affected
| Fixed in– |
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Description
The npm package dust-helpers version 9999.0.0 contains malicious code that executes during installation. Its preinstall script runs a Node.js script that collects sensitive environment information including hostname, username, current working directory, internal registry URL, and CI repository identifiers. This data is exfiltrated via an HTTP GET request to an attacker-controlled IP address. The package is a dependency confusion attempt, published with a very high version number to trick private builds into installing it and revealing internal details to attackers.