Executive Summary
A credential-stealing npm worm starting in keyv@6.0.0 poisoned hundreds of packages and planted Claude Code and VS Code hooks for persistence.
What Happened
A credential-stealing npm worm that first appeared in keyv@6.0.0 spread beyond the Keyv and Cacheable namespaces into hundreds of packages across multiple organizations on August 4, 2026. SafeDep verified 353 poisoned versions across 79 package names in the npm registry. Its monitoring put the wider footprint at 442 versions across 353 names, while Aikido later reported at least 868 packages
Affected Products
- npm
- Claude Code
- Visual Studio Code
Vulnerability / Attack Technique
npm worm abusing AI coding agent hooks
Technical Mechanism
As reported, the worm added hooks so code runs when the agent or editor runs.
AI Security Category
LLM03:2025 Supply Chain
Part of the AI Supply Chain and AI SBOM topic.
Relevant Frameworks
RealGround Analysis
Agent config files are now persistence locations. RealGround analysis: review Claude Code hooks after any npm incident.
Recommended Controls
- Audit Claude Code and VS Code hook settings
- Rotate developer credentials
Related RealGround Service
AI Agent SBOM and LLM Mapping · or start with the free AI Agent Security Scanner.
Sources
thehackernews.com: https://thehackernews.com/2026/08/keyv-linked-npm-worm-poisons-hundreds.html
Summary and analysis written by RealGround from the source above; last updated 2026-10-18.