Malicious Code Injection in Absent Crab Silentdev Package
Summary
MAL-2025-99039: Malicious code in absent_crab-silentdev (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The 'absent_crab-silentdev' package is part of the npm ecosystem, primarily used for JavaScript development. It is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been known to flood the npm registry with various packages. This package, like others in the campaign, is designed to inflate developer reputation scores through automated publishing of derivative packages with randomized names.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in 'absent_crab-silentdev' arises from the presence of malicious code that modifies the package.json file. This code removes private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to the continuous republishing of variants that pollute the npm registry. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which employs autopublish scripts to automate the creation of these malicious packages, posing significant risks to developers and the integrity of the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall absent_crab-silentdevIf 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 avoid using the 'absent_crab-silentdev' package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, you can monitor your package dependencies using tools like Vulert, which can alert you to vulnerabilities in real-time.
Conclusion
The 'absent_crab-silentdev' package contains malicious code that poses significant risks to developers and the npm ecosystem. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your projects.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, known for flooding the npm registry with malicious packages.
The malicious code modifies your package.json file, potentially leading to security vulnerabilities and the pollution of the npm registry.
You should uninstall the package immediately using 'npm uninstall absent_crab-silentdev' and check for any other affected packages.
Yes, you can use Vulert to monitor your package-lock.json file for vulnerabilities without needing to access the code or install additional software.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
