Malicious Code Injection in agricultural_parrot-apptea: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-99273: Malicious code in agricultural_parrot-apptea (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package 'agricultural_parrot-apptea' 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 and the security of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the malicious payload embedded in the 'agricultural_parrot-apptea' package. It modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names, primarily themed around Indonesian culture. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, which pollutes the npm registry and can mislead developers, potentially affecting their projects and reputations.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall agricultural_parrot-appteaIf 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 prevent the installation of this package by adding it to your project's .npmrc file with the following line: 'package-lock=false'. This will help avoid the automatic installation of malicious packages until a fix is implemented.
Conclusion
The 'agricultural_parrot-apptea' package poses a significant threat due to its malicious code that compromises the npm ecosystem. It is crucial for developers to take immediate action by removing the package and monitoring their dependencies to ensure the security of their applications.
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FAQ
The malicious code can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, affecting the integrity of other packages and potentially misleading developers.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. Visit Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected without needing to sign up.
If you have installed the package, immediately uninstall it using 'npm uninstall agricultural_parrot-apptea' and check for any other affected packages.
Currently, there is no specific patched version available. It is advisable to monitor the npm registry for updates and patches.
Regularly audit your dependencies, use tools like Vulert for real-time monitoring, and stay informed about the latest security advisories in the npm ecosystem.
