Malicious Code Injection in advanced_alpaca_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-93143: Malicious code in advanced_alpaca_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The advanced_alpaca_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate token rewards for developers by automatically generating and publishing derivative packages. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity and the security of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the advanced_alpaca_z3n package originates from its association with a campaign that floods the npm registry with malicious packages. It includes scripts that modify the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior not only inflates developer reputation scores but also leads to the pollution of the npm registry with potentially harmful packages, posing risks to users who may unknowingly install these variants.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall advanced_alpaca_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 avoid using the advanced_alpaca_z3n package and replace it with a trusted alternative. Additionally, regularly audit your npm packages using the command: npm audit, to identify and address vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The advanced_alpaca_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that poses significant risks to users and the npm ecosystem. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the security of your projects.
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FAQ
The advanced_alpaca_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with a token reward campaign that generates and publishes derivative packages.
The malicious code modifies your package.json file and can lead to the installation of harmful packages, compromising the security of your project.
You should remove the advanced_alpaca_z3n package from your project immediately and check for any other affected packages.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using your package-lock.json file.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
