Malicious Code Injection in added_shark_z3n Package: npm Vulnerability Overview
Summary
MAL-2025-99118: Malicious code in added_shark_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The added_shark_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem and appears to be 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 for token rewards. The package's functionality includes creating and publishing random Indonesian-themed package names, which can lead to pollution of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the added_shark_z3n package stems from its malicious code that modifies the package.json file. This code removes private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. The malicious payload is designed to continuously republish these variants, which can lead to significant pollution of the npm registry and compromise the integrity of the ecosystem. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has flooded npm with similar malicious packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall added_shark_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a workaround, you can prevent the installation of this package by using npm's package-lock.json file to monitor dependencies. Ensure that you do not include added_shark_z3n in your dependencies. You can also utilize tools like Vulert to monitor your project for vulnerabilities. For example, you can check if your application is affected by this vulnerability using the Vulert playground at https://vulert.com/scanner without any signup.
Conclusion
The added_shark_z3n package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that modifies package.json files and repopulates the npm registry with harmful variants. It is crucial to remove this package from your project and monitor for vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity of your software.
See every vulnerability recorded for added_shark_z3n →
FAQ
The added_shark_z3n package is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages automatically.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, compromising the integrity of your project's dependencies and potentially introducing malicious code.
You should remove the added_shark_z3n package from your project immediately to mitigate the risk associated with this vulnerability.
Currently, there is no patched version available for the added_shark_z3n package. The best course of action is to remove it from your dependencies.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for vulnerabilities in real-time. You can check your application for vulnerabilities using the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner.
