AI coding assistants can introduce malware by auto-installing packages and accepting risky suggestions. A senior developer warns that treating AI as a perfect co-founder is dangerous; it behaves like a fast junior dev with broad system access, often making unreviewed changes that silently add dependencies.

The threat emerges when developers hit an error and accept an AI's "fix," which may install a suspicious package. Attackers exploit this by publishing malicious npm packages with polished READMEs and hidden `postinstall` scripts that exfiltrate secrets or steal wallets. A 2025 incident saw a Solana wallet drained via such a script.

Beyond outright malware, AI tools can suggest vulnerable or abandoned libraries, creating hidden risks in your dependency tree. The real danger is that these tools prioritize unblocking developers, not security. To mitigate, teams should disable auto-apply for dependency changes, manually review new packages, and treat lifecycle scripts as potential landmines.