> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.stepsecurity.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.stepsecurity.io/developer-machines/malicious-files.md).

# Malicious Files

**Malicious Files** detects files planted by supply chain attacks across your enrolled developer machines.

Some supply chain attacks plant files that trigger code execution outside the package lifecycle scripts most security tools monitor, for example a `binding.gyp` that runs during `npm install`, or an editor configuration file that runs when a project is opened. Malicious Files detects these artifacts on developer machines.

The feature works out of the box: the underlying detection rules are authored and maintained by StepSecurity and apply to every enrolled device automatically, so there is nothing to configure. As new attack techniques are identified, StepSecurity adds and updates rules centrally, and your fleet is evaluated against them automatically. If a rule does not suit your environment, you can deactivate it.

To open it, select **Malicious Files** in the **Developer Machines** section of the left navigation.

This section contains two pages:

* [**Rules**](/developer-machines/malicious-files/rules.md): the detection rules StepSecurity maintains, the files each rule scans, and controls to deactivate or activate a rule.
* [**Findings**](/developer-machines/malicious-files/findings.md): every file those rules have flagged on your enrolled devices, with the evidence behind each detection and guidance on remediation.

{% hint style="info" %}
Malicious Files in Dev Machine Guard covers developer machines. To scan the repositories in your GitHub organization for files planted by the same campaigns, see [Malicious Files for GitHub](/github/malicious-files.md).
{% endhint %}

### Why it matters

The files attackers plant for code execution often live outside the surfaces that traditional endpoint and SCA (Software Composition Analysis) tools inspect. A `binding.gyp` that executes during install, or a `.vscode/tasks.json` that runs on folder open, will not appear in a package manifest and may not trip a conventional malware scanner. Because these files execute with the developer's own access to source code, credentials, and CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery) tokens, a single compromised machine can become the entry point for a wider breach.

Use Malicious Files to:

* **Respond to incidents:** when a new attack is disclosed, identify in seconds which devices carry the flagged file
* **Confirm coverage:** see that StepSecurity's centrally managed rules are evaluating your fleet without any local configuration
* **Prioritize remediation:** use confidence and campaign to focus first on high-confidence detections tied to active campaigns


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