---
id: "MAL-2026-18618"
kind: "package"
aliases: ["MAL-2026-18618"]
title: "Malicious code in southern_duck_tan-16 (npm)"
severity: "critical"
cvss: null
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "package"
products: [{"name": "southern_duck_tan-16", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 2.4.3", "ecosystem": "npm"}]
ecosystems: ["npm"]
tags: ["malicious", "package"]
not_affected_if: []
published_at: "2026-11-02T09:44:21+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-11-04T09:25:52+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-11-04T09:28:08+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "osv-malicious", "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-18618", "first_seen_at": "2026-11-04T09:25:52+00:00"}]
---

# Malicious code in southern_duck_tan-16 (npm)

## Affected

- npm:southern_duck_tan-16 affected = 2.4.3 fixed ?

## Timeline

- 2026-11-04T09:25:52+00:00 osv-malicious https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-18618

## From the sources

Part of a self-republishing campaign: generated names of the form <adjective>_<animal>_<colour>-<number>, each package shipping the same autopublish.js, which runs `npm publish --access public` to publish the package again. Self-replicating publication is the propagation step of a registry worm and fills the registry with copies. Version examined: 2.4.3; tarball SHA-256 a3154921b8a06cfa66c41cf8d689a9e16610ddda9e78c8db51e986bcf1e056d9.

---

_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_
