"The attack is notable for its broad data collection, its use of social engineering to harvest the victim's system password, and the sophistication of its persistence and C2 [command-and-control] infrastructure. Internally, the malware identifies itself as GhostLoader."
"The malicious logic is triggered by means of a postinstall hook, which re-installs the package globally using the command: 'npm i -g @openclaw-ai/openclawai.' Once the installation is complete, the OpenClaw binary points to 'scripts/setup.js' by means of the 'bin' property in the 'package.json' file."
"The file 'setup.js' serves as the first-stage dropper that, upon running, displays a convincing fake command-line interface with animated progress bars to give the impression that OpenClaw is being installed on the host. After the purported installation step is complete, the script shows a bogus iCloud Keychain authorization prompt."
A malicious npm package named '@openclaw-ai/openclawai' was discovered on the npm registry, designed to deploy a remote access trojan (RAT) called GhostLoader and steal sensitive data. The package, uploaded in March 2026, has been downloaded 178 times and remains available. It targets system credentials, browser data, crypto wallets, SSH keys, Apple Keychain databases, and iMessage history. The malware uses a postinstall hook to trigger installation globally and employs social engineering tactics, including a fake command-line interface with animated progress bars and a bogus iCloud Keychain authorization prompt to deceive users. The attack demonstrates sophisticated persistence mechanisms and command-and-control infrastructure.
Read at The Hacker News
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