Malicious Code Injection in aggressive_aardwolf_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-93171: Malicious code in aggressive_aardwolf_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The aggressive_aardwolf_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem, often used for various JavaScript applications. It has been identified as part of a campaign that floods the npm registry with malicious packages aimed at manipulating developer reputation scores for token rewards. This package, like others in the campaign, is designed to automatically generate and publish derivative packages with altered attributes.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the aggressive_aardwolf_z3n package stems from its 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 integrity of applications that rely on this package. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to a broader scheme that exploits npm's publishing capabilities to inflate reputation scores for the tea protocol token rewards.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall aggressive_aardwolf_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 aggressive_aardwolf_z3n package from your project by executing the command: npm uninstall aggressive_aardwolf_z3n. This will prevent the malicious code from executing until a secure version is available.
Conclusion
The aggressive_aardwolf_z3n package contains a serious vulnerability that can compromise the integrity of applications using it. It is crucial to update or remove the package to mitigate risks. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help monitor for such vulnerabilities in real-time.
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FAQ
It is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign to manipulate developer reputation scores.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and compromise the integrity of applications that depend on this package.
You should update the package to the latest version or remove it from your project until a secure version is released.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in your software by analyzing 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.
