# Cline CLI unauthorized npm publish with malicious postinstall script

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cline-cli-unauthorized-npm-publish-with-malicious-postinstall-script-50ba85ed  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-02-19. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

Severity: info · Published 2026-02-19

An attacker gained control of the npm publishing token for Cline CLI, a command-line tool, and released version 2.3.0 with a modified installation script that automatically downloads and installs an unintended open-source package globally. While the installed package (openclaw) is itself benign, the unauthorized modification represents a supply-chain compromise that could be leveraged to inject malicious payloads in future releases. Users affected during the 8-hour window were forced to install unwanted software.

Technologies: [cline (npm)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/npm-cline). Vendors: [npm](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/npm).

## Quick answers

**Is This vulnerability exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of This vulnerability being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is This vulnerability?** Informational severity, published 19 February 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** cline (npm) SEMVER:introduced=2.3.0,fixed=2.4.0.

**Is there a fix for This vulnerability?** Yes. cline (npm): upgrade to 2.4.0 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is This vulnerability attacked?** It is attacked over the network.

**Am I affected?** Check whether you run cline (npm) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- cline (npm): upgrade to 2.4.0 or later

  ```sh
  npm install cline@2.4.0
  ```


## Technical details

This is a supply-chain attack exploiting a compromised npm publishing token (CWE-506: Embedded Malicious Code). The attacker modified the package.json postinstall script in cline@2.3.0 to execute "npm install -g openclaw@latest" during installation, causing unauthorized global package installation. The attack affects only the npm CLI package distributed via the npm registry; the VS Code extension and JetBrains plugin were unaffected. The malicious version was published for approximately 8 hours (Feb 17, 3:26 AM–11:30 AM PT) before being deprecated and replaced with version 2.4.0. The compromised token has been revoked and the project now uses OIDC provenance via GitHub Actions for future publishes.

## Affected products

- Cline CLI 2.3.0

## Timeline

- 2026-02-17: disclosed: Unauthorized cline@2.3.0 published at 3:26 AM PT
- 2026-02-17: patched: Version 2.4.0 published at 11:23 AM PT
- 2026-02-19: other: GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7 published in GitHub Advisory Database

## References

- [https://github.com/cline/cline/security/advisories/GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7](https://github.com/cline/cline/security/advisories/GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7)

## Related threats

- [Cline Hub dashboard Cross-Site WebSocket Hijacking](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-59723-cline-hub-dashboard-cross-site-websocket-hijacking)
- [Cline Cross-Origin WebSocket Hijacking in Kanban Server](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-44211-cline-cross-origin-websocket-hijacking-in-kanban-server)