A serious security incident has recently come to light. Security teams discovered three malicious packages impersonating Bitcoin-related libraries—bitcoin-main-lib, bitcoin-lib-js, and bip40—in the npm open-source registry. These packages had been downloaded over 3,400 times before being removed.

These malicious packages contain a remote control Trojan called NodeCordRAT. If you accidentally install it, the consequences can be severe: it can extract your login credentials directly from Chrome, steal various API tokens, and most critically, it can target your MetaMask wallet—your private keys and seed phrases can all be stolen. Imagine someone gaining access to your wallet keys.

Even more frightening, once infected, this Trojan can transmit your data back through multiple channels, making it difficult to defend against.

For developers, this is a direct warning:

1. **Be cautious when downloading open-source packages** — verify the package name, check if the GitHub project exists, and look at the star count and update frequency.

2. **Protect your MetaMask wallet** — regularly check wallet activity, avoid logging in on unfamiliar computers, and consider using hardware wallets for critical operations.

3. **Pay attention to browser credentials** — change passwords regularly, and ensure your browser is clean before performing large transactions.

4. **Isolate API tokens** — don’t give a token too many permissions; use different tokens for different scenarios, and rotate them periodically.

Events like this remind us that ultimately, the responsibility for Web3 security falls on the users. Stay vigilant and avoid unnecessary risks.