{"id":"MAL-2026-18688","summary":"Malicious code in kevinx-baileys (npm)","details":"kevinx-baileys is a fork of the Baileys WhatsApp Web library that silently subscribes the installer's own WhatsApp account to WhatsApp Channels chosen by the publisher. When the socket connects, code in lib/Socket/newsletter.js sends the WhatsApp w:mex FOLLOW query for the channel ID(s) 120363408893555851@newsletter, 120363424295522327@newsletter, 120363426470081124@newsletter, 120363427718144294@newsletter (stored base64-encoded), using the victim's authenticated session and without telling them; the README says \"Nothing is followed unless you call it.\" 1.2.1 was published one directory down (kevinx-baileys/lib/Socket/newsletter.js) under a placeholder package.json whose main, index.js, does not exist, so importing it by name fails, but it ships the same follow code; 1.2.2 restores the normal layout with the same lib/Socket/newsletter.js. Same behaviour as the PhantomSub family (MAL-2026-17342).","modified":"2026-11-05T05:15:04.465772471Z","published":"2026-10-26T00:00:00Z","database_specific":{"iocs":{"urls":[],"domains":[],"files":[{"paths":["lib/Socket/newsletter.js"],"digests":{"sha256":"7db0ac4e599e7acd4b80d5f5092d43488eed474f4f1bce4b315a35e864375d52"}},{"digests":{"sha256":"6368e28be94dd2dc19d8920385b593574ca21298b560108f544371022cf10d07"},"paths":["kevinx-baileys/lib/Socket/newsletter.js","lib/Socket/newsletter.js"]}],"ips":[]}},"references":[{"type":"PACKAGE","url":"https://www.npmjs.com/package/kevinx-baileys"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://www.ox.security/blog/phantomsub-malicious-npm-campaign-secretly-adds-users-to-whatsapp-spam-channels/"}],"affected":[{"package":{"name":"kevinx-baileys","ecosystem":"npm","purl":"pkg:npm/kevinx-baileys"},"versions":["1.2.0","1.2.1","1.2.2"],"database_specific":{"cwes":[{"cweId":"CWE-506","description":"The product contains code that appears to be malicious in nature.","name":"Embedded Malicious Code"}],"source":"https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/main/osv/malicious/npm/kevinx-baileys/MAL-2026-18688.json"}}],"schema_version":"1.9.2","credits":[{"name":"CyberXYZ","contact":["https://cyberxyz.io"],"type":"FINDER"}]}