Malicious Code Injection in able_walrus_z3n: npm Package Vulnerability
Summary
MAL-2025-93067: Malicious code in able_walrus_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The able_walrus_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores in exchange for token rewards. However, this functionality has been exploited to introduce malicious code that compromises the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in able_walrus_z3n originates from its design to include autopublish scripts that modify the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, which pollutes the npm registry and can potentially harm developers by affecting their package reputation and introducing security risks.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall able_walrus_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary workaround, you can prevent the installation of the able_walrus_z3n package by adding it to your project's .npmrc file with the following line: 'package-lock=false'. This will help avoid the installation of this malicious package until it is fully addressed.
Conclusion
The able_walrus_z3n package presents a significant vulnerability due to its malicious code that modifies package metadata and repopulates the npm registry with harmful variants. It is essential for developers to remove this package and monitor their projects for any potential vulnerabilities.
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FAQ
The able_walrus_z3n package is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the generation and publication of packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, affecting your project's package reputation and potentially introducing security risks.
If you have installed the able_walrus_z3n package, you should uninstall it immediately using 'npm uninstall able_walrus_z3n' to mitigate any risks.
Currently, there is no specific patch for the able_walrus_z3n package. The best course of action is to uninstall the package until a secure version is released.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in your software by analyzing the package-lock.json file. You can check your application for vulnerabilities using the Vulert playground without any signup.
