Malicious Code Injection in afraid_silverfish_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-93166: Malicious code in afraid_silverfish_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The afraid_silverfish_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 in exchange for token rewards. However, its functionality has been compromised by malicious scripts that manipulate package metadata.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the afraid_silverfish_z3n package stems from 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 these variants. The origin of this issue is linked to a broader trend of malicious packages flooding the npm registry, aimed at exploiting the system for token rewards. The ramifications include pollution of the npm registry and potential security risks for developers who unknowingly use these compromised packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall afraid_silverfish_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 afraid_silverfish_z3n package altogether and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks.
Conclusion
The afraid_silverfish_z3n package contains malicious code that poses significant risks to developers and the integrity of the npm registry. Immediate action is required to remove this package and safeguard your projects. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help monitor for such vulnerabilities in the future.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the generation and publication of derivative packages.
The malicious code modifies your package.json file, potentially leading to security vulnerabilities and pollution of the npm registry.
You should uninstall the package immediately using the command: npm uninstall afraid_silverfish_z3n.
Yes, you should look for other npm packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities using just your package-lock.json. You can check if your application is affected by this vulnerability using the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner.
