MalwarePublished 20 Oct 2026Updated 29 Oct 2026

tellyo-colours (npm) · Malicious Code

Affects tellyo-coloursSource GCVE Database

Malicious package : remove tellyo-colours and rotate any secrets on hosts that installed it.

Data as of 29 Oct 2026, 14:07 UTC

Classification

Malicious package

Published to npm · OSV MAL-2026-18115

What to do

Remove tellyo-colours 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
npmtellyo-colours	Affected =21.3.1 =101.3.6	Fixed in–

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Description

The npm package tellyo-colours version 21.3.1 includes a runtime dependency on abbishal-poc-as-dependency with a wildcard version, allowing arbitrary code execution during installation. This dependency can fetch and run any version published by the dependency's controller, potentially executing malicious lifecycle scripts. The package is considered fully compromising any system where it is installed, requiring immediate secret and key rotation and removal of the package.

Impact

Any computer with tellyo-colours installed should be considered fully compromised. The attacker may have gained full control over the system, and all secrets and keys stored on the machine are at risk and must be rotated immediately from a secure environment. Removing the package does not guarantee removal of all malicious software introduced by the dependency, indicating persistent compromise.

Defensive guidance

Remove the tellyo-colours package immediately from affected systems. Rotate all secrets and keys stored on the compromised machines from a different, secure computer. Due to the potential full system compromise, consider rebuilding affected systems. Monitor for any unauthorized activity and avoid installing packages with wildcard dependencies from untrusted sources.

Summary

The tellyo-colours npm package version 21.3.1 declares a runtime dependency on abbishal-poc-as-dependency using a wildcard version "*". This allows the package manager to fetch and execute any version of the dependency currently published by its controller, including any lifecycle scripts such as preinstall, install, or postinstall. Although the shipped SCSS content is inert and contains a canary string indicating coordination with the dependency author, the manifest alone is sufficient to pull and run arbitrary code on installation. This represents a dependency confusion attack vector that can lead to full system compromise.

References

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What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 29 Oct 2026, 14:07 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews