Malicious Code Injection in advanced_newt_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-93147: Malicious code in advanced_newt_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The advanced_newt_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 for token rewards. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially compromising the security of applications that depend on this package. The malicious scripts included in the package are designed to execute automatically, making it difficult for developers to detect the issue without thorough inspection.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall advanced_newt_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 advanced_newt_z3n package from your project by executing the following command: npm uninstall advanced_newt_z3n. This will prevent any malicious code from executing until a secure version is available.
Conclusion
The advanced_newt_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that poses significant risks to applications using it. It is crucial for developers to take immediate action by updating or removing the package to safeguard their projects.
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FAQ
The advanced_newt_z3n package is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the generation and publication of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the injection of malicious code into your application, potentially compromising its security and integrity.
If you are using advanced_newt_z3n, you should uninstall the package immediately and look for a secure alternative or a patched version.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file to alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
