Malicious Code Injection in accessible_rodent_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-99084: Malicious code in accessible_rodent_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The accessible_rodent_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, often with randomized names, to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. Its functionality is compromised by malicious scripts that manipulate package metadata.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the accessible_rodent_z3n package originates from its association with a campaign that floods the npm registry with malicious packages. These packages contain scripts that modify the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior leads to pollution of the npm registry and can potentially compromise the integrity of dependent applications.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall accessible_rodent_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 remove the accessible_rodent_z3n package from your project by executing: npm uninstall accessible_rodent_z3n. This will prevent any malicious scripts from executing until a secure version is available.
Conclusion
The accessible_rodent_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that poses significant risks to applications using it. It is crucial to take immediate action by updating or removing the package to safeguard your project from potential threats.
See every vulnerability recorded for accessible_rodent_z3n →
FAQ
The main issue is that it contains malicious code that modifies package metadata and floods the npm registry with derivative packages.
You can use Vulert, which monitors open-source vulnerabilities in your software. By using the Vulert playground, you can check if your application is affected without any signup.
Using this package can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, compromise the integrity of your application, and potentially expose it to further vulnerabilities.
Regularly updating your packages and using tools like Vulert to monitor vulnerabilities can help prevent similar issues in the future.
If an immediate update is not possible, consider uninstalling the package as a temporary measure to mitigate risks.
