MalwarePublished 12 Aug 2026

@years17/n8n-nodes-helper-utils (npm) · Malicious Code

Affects @years17/n8n-nodes-helper-utilsSource GCVE Database

Malicious package : remove @years17/n8n-nodes-helper-utils and rotate any secrets on hosts that installed it.

Data as of 12 Aug 2026, 16:54 UTC

Classification

Malicious package

Published to npm · OSV MAL-2026-13869

What to do

Remove @years17/n8n-nodes-helper-utils 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@years17/n8n-nodes-helper-utils	Affected 1.0.0 – 1.0.6 7 affected builds	Fixed in–

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Description

The npm package @years17/n8n-nodes-helper-utils contains malicious code that executes unauthorized system commands at multiple stages: during installation, module loading, and workflow execution. It collects system information such as user ID, hostname, and directory listings, writing this data to files on the host. This behavior is explicitly acknowledged in the code comments and is designed to run within the n8n automation platform's main process without sandboxing.

Impact

This malicious package allows arbitrary code execution on the host system at multiple points, potentially exposing sensitive system information and enabling further compromise. The commands executed include user identity, hostname, system information, and directory listings, which are written to files in /tmp or returned as node output. This compromises the confidentiality and integrity of the affected system running n8n workflows that load this package.

Defensive guidance

Users should immediately remove the @years17/n8n-nodes-helper-utils package from their environments and avoid installing or loading it in n8n workflows. Since this is a malicious package published to npm, users should verify the integrity and provenance of community nodes before use. Monitor for and delete any files created by this package (e.g., /tmp/pwned.txt, /tmp/n8n_pwned.txt).

Summary

The @years17/n8n-nodes-helper-utils npm package is a malicious community node for the n8n automation platform. It implements three independent malicious payloads: (1) a postinstall script that executes system commands and writes output to /tmp/pwned.txt during npm install; (2) top-level code in the main module that runs system commands on require() and writes output to /tmp/n8n_pwned.txt; and (3) an exported node execute() function that runs system commands and returns their output labeled as 'pwned: true' instead of performing legitimate utility functions. These payloads enable code execution on the host at install time, module load, and workflow execution, exploiting the lack of sandboxing in n8n's community node loading mechanism.

References

Community reviews

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What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 12 Aug 2026, 16:54 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews