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OpenAdvisories
Malicious MAL-2026-18688

kevinx-baileys

npm package · versions 1.2.0, 1.2.1, 1.2.2

Reported Oct 26, 2026 · Updated Nov 5, 2026

If this package is installed

Remove it, treat the machine (or CI runner) as compromised, and rotate every secret, token and key it could access — from a different, clean machine.

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).