MAL-2026-16012

Dashboard / Malicious Package / MAL-2026-16012

MAL-2026-16012

Summary: Malicious code in orbitron-cli (npm)

Details: The npm package `orbitron-cli` is malicious. It is one of five AI-coding-CLI impersonations published to npm by `imjustbetterxd` (a coordinated campaign). On use, the CLI reads the developer's LLM/provider API key - from environment variables (e.g. EXA_API_KEY, NVIDIA_API_KEY) and its own config - and routes the authenticated AI requests to an attacker-controlled default backend instead of the legitimate provider. Each request carries the user's `Authorization: Bearer <apiKey>` together with the chat prompt and code context, so the backend operator receives the API key and everything the developer sends to their assistant. Later builds set `rejectUnauthorized: false` / `NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED` for the relay connection. Payloads/updates are hosted on the GitHub account `Marcus-Mok-GH`. The single published version (1.0.1) is affected. It is a `bun` launcher: `bin/orbitron` imports `dist/index.js`, which uses `dist/backend-client.js` (holds the API key) and a bundled `dist/orbitron` binary; the relay backend is `orbitron--pastelsjuice8t.replit.app`. `dist/update.js` auto-updates from `orbitron-tui`'s npm `latest` and spawns the bundled binary - the cluster is self-linked. Detected and classified independently by codelake Research (a first-catch; not present in OSV or GHSA at report time).

References: https://research.codelake.dev/advisories/clr-2026-3050-orbitron-cli, https://research.codelake.dev/advisories/clr-2026-3048-ai-cli-relay-campaign