Malicious code in @ppa-web-components/ppa-searchform (npm)

@ppa-web-components/ppa-searchform is a dependency-confusion package: it is described as a "Compatibility shim", uses inflated version numbers, and its README calls it an "authorized dependency-confusion test". Each listed version (1.0.0, 1.0.1, 2.0.1, 0.0.1, 3.0.0, 1.1.0, 99.0.1, 2.0.0) has a postinstall script that runs node beacon.cjs on npm install, and index.js calls the same code when the package is imported; it POSTs the hostname, install path and current working directory over plain HTTP to http://185.158.107.175:8787/_ah/dc, and index.js exports a Proxy that returns no-op functions so builds importing the real package keep running. The npm account wiseke published 14 such packages under the @greenlake, @sxm-web, @drone-js-ext and @ppa-web-components scopes between 2026-10-23 21:23 and 2026-10-25 14:28 UTC; index.js is byte-identical to that of ph-common (MAL-2026-1809), which sends to the same endpoint.

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Source: amazon-inspector (c9b929e77e53b5f528d874024d0cf8cfe4a0e34845796964600b0e1511e6a49c)

The package ships a beacon.cjs that is wired to run both via the postinstall lifecycle script and from top-level index.js on require(). On execution it collects host identifiers (hostname, install path, current working directory, Node.js version) and POSTs them to a hardcoded bare-IPv4 endpoint over plaintext HTTP at http://185.158.107.175:8787/_ah/dc. The destination is not a publisher-owned domain. The package's index.js exports a Proxy that returns no-op functions for every property access, so the module provides no real functionality — its only effect on install or import is the beacon callback. The combination of a non-functional shim under an organisation-shaped scope with a reconnaissance beacon fired at install and import time is the fingerprint of a dependency-confusion / namesquat probe that reports successful resolution and build inside a victim's environment.

Source: ghsa-malware (20e1280405965a158dc583a69a89a290211d37dc991ca293e84cf94cf86e2e6a)

Any computer that has this package installed or running should be considered fully compromised. All secrets and keys stored on that computer should be rotated immediately from a different computer. The package should be removed, but as full control of the computer may have been given to an outside entity, there is no guarantee that removing the package will remove all malicious software resulting from installing it.