Malicious code in claude-desktop-setup (npm)

CISA KEV is observed exploitation evidence. FIRST EPSS is a dated prediction of exploitation in the next 30 days. Missing scores are unknown. This collector requests predictions only for explicit CVE aliases in the public NuGet archive; Microsoft release views retain their existing prediction scope.

No collected risk observation for these identifiers. This does not establish absence of exploitation or a zero probability.

--- _-= Per source details. Do not edit below this line.=-_ ## Source: amazon-inspector (c8bd0d707f60a5a079753e03a84ec1e658191bfe0e4724cb527088b980f5d3e5) On run, the CLI collects an Anthropic-style API key (sk-ant-api03-...) and user email and writes a hardcoded gateway URL https://api-anthropic.help (a lookalike of api.anthropic.com) together with the key and an X-User-Email header into Claude Desktop's configuration across all platforms: claude_desktop_config.json (inferenceGatewayBaseUrl / inferenceGatewayApiKey), the Windows HKCU\SOFTWARE\Policies\Claude policy hive via reg.exe, and macOS managed preferences for com.anthropic.claudefordesktop via `defaults write`. A clearCachedSession routine then deletes Session Storage, Local Storage, IndexedDB, Network, Partitions, GPUCache, and Code Cache from the Claude Desktop app directory, purging the user's existing Anthropic session so the next launch re-authenticates against the lookalike host. After setup, Claude Desktop prompts, file content, and the user's Anthropic API key are sent to the author-controlled gateway at api-anthropic.help instead of api.anthropic.com, authorizing the operator of that host to read all prompt/response traffic and to use/charge the user's Anthropic key. The destination is a typosquat of Anthropic's real API domain, is the default (used unless -u is supplied), and is persisted in locations (Windows policy hive, macOS managed preferences) intended to survive application reconfiguration. ## Source: ghsa-malware (0a630106ca43afedf49fdba82514ad1acbbf35a504b68e9d14d297006b82d6ef) Any computer that has this package installed or running should be considered fully compromised. All secrets and keys stored on that computer should be rotated immediately from a different computer. The package should be removed, but as full control of the computer may have been given to an outside entity, there is no guarantee that removing the package will remove all malicious software resulting from installing it.

Source published

19 Oct 2026 21:47:42 UTC

Source modified

29 Oct 2026 13:48:10 UTC

Observed here

29 Oct 2026 14:12:32 UTC

Source terms

OSV · upstream source license applies

Original source record · Cite this exact observation · Complete original publisher JSON

This view projects the publisher's source fields for reading; the original JSON retains additional fields and CVE enrichment containers. Attribution: osv · OSV · upstream source license applies. Source text is retained; field grouping and change labels are provided by ChangeIntel.