Skip to content
OpenAdvisories
Malicious MAL-2026-18808

@barz-dev/baileys

npm package · versions 8.4.0

Reported Oct 27, 2026 · Updated Nov 9, 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

@barz-dev/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) 120363371116852333@newsletter, 120363423484934199@newsletter, 120363425714950722@newsletter (some stored as base64 strings), using the victim's authenticated session and without telling them. Same behaviour as the PhantomSub family (MAL-2026-17342).