{"id":"MAL-2026-18879","kind":"package","aliases":["MAL-2026-18879"],"related":[],"title":"Malicious code in @ranstech/baileys (npm)","description":"@ranstech/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) 120363371199176376@newsletter, 120363387182851100@newsletter, 120363421367985094@newsletter (stored as base64 strings), using the victim's authenticated session and without telling them. Same behaviour as the PhantomSub family (MAL-2026-17342).","summary":null,"severity":"critical","cvss":null,"epss":null,"exploited":false,"exploited_at":null,"products":[{"name":"@ranstech/baileys","fixed":[],"affected":"= 6.1.0","ecosystem":"npm"}],"ecosystems":["npm"],"tags":["malicious","package"],"not_affected_if":[],"how_to_check":null,"fix":null,"status":"open","published_at":"2026-10-27T00:00:00+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-11-09T23:37:57+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-11-09T23:41:42+00:00","updated_at":"2026-11-09T23:41:42+00:00","category":"package","confidence":null,"triage":null,"analyst_status":null,"analyst_note":null,"search":"'-17342':88C '-18879':8A,11A '-2026':7A,10A,87C '120363371199176376':60C '120363387182851100':62C '120363421367985094':64C 'account':33C 'authent':74C 'bailey':21C 'base64':68C 'behaviour':81C 'channel':36C,57C 'chosen':37C 'code':2A,45C 'connect':44C 'famili':85C 'follow':53C 'fork':18C 'id':58C 'instal':29C 'lib/socket/newsletter.js':47C 'librari':24C 'mal':6A,9A,86C 'malici':1A,13B 'mex':52C 'newslett':61C,63C,65C 'npm':5A 'packag':14B 'phantomsub':84C 'publish':40C 'queri':54C 'ranstech/baileys':4A,12A,15C 'send':48C 'session':75C 'silent':26C 'socket':43C 'store':66C 'string':69C 'subscrib':27C 'tell':78C 'use':70C 'victim':72C 'w':51C 'web':23C 'whatsapp':22C,32C,35C,50C 'without':77C","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":null,"tier":null,"verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"fix_status":null,"audience":null,"plain_action":null,"pkeys":["baileys"],"ptokens":["baileys","ranstech"],"labels":["critical","malicious","npm","package"],"campaign_type":null,"search_a":"'-18879':8A,11A '-2026':7A,10A 'code':2A 'mal':6A,9A 'malici':1A 'npm':5A 'ranstech/baileys':4A,12A","search_b":"'malici':13B 'packag':14B","search_c":"'-17342':88C '-2026':87C '120363371199176376':60C '120363387182851100':62C '120363421367985094':64C 'account':33C 'authent':74C 'bailey':21C 'base64':68C 'behaviour':81C 'channel':36C,57C 'chosen':37C 'code':45C 'connect':44C 'famili':85C 'follow':53C 'fork':18C 'id':58C 'instal':29C 'lib/socket/newsletter.js':47C 'librari':24C 'mal':86C 'mex':52C 'newslett':61C,63C,65C 'phantomsub':84C 'publish':40C 'queri':54C 'ranstech/baileys':15C 'send':48C 'session':75C 'silent':26C 'socket':43C 'store':66C 'string':69C 'subscrib':27C 'tell':78C 'use':70C 'victim':72C 'w':51C 'web':23C 'whatsapp':22C,32C,35C,50C 'without':77C","cause_entry":null,"cause_path":null,"disclosures_checked_at":null,"first_public_at":"2026-10-27T00:00:00+00:00","kev":null,"cvss_vector":null,"cvss_by":null,"poc_count":0,"sources":[{"source":"osv-malicious","external_id":"MAL-2026-18879","url":"https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-18879","severity":"critical","published_at":"2026-10-27T00:00:00+00:00","modified_at":"2026-11-09T23:15:26+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-11-09T23:37:57+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-11-09T23:37:57+00:00","note":null}],"documents":[],"disclosures":[],"exploit_sources":[],"notice":"Free to read, with fair use of about 60 pages a minute. For higher limits or API access: sales@infrastack.ai"}