Malicious Code Injection in alone_hyena_dumbs Package - npm Vulnerability
Summary
MAL-2025-99365: Malicious code in alone_hyena_dumbs (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The 'alone_hyena_dumbs' package is part of a series of npm packages that emerged during the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to manipulate the npm registry by automatically generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names. This behavior is primarily aimed at inflating developer reputation scores for token rewards, making the package a potential threat to the integrity of the npm ecosystem.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the 'alone_hyena_dumbs' package stems from its malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags and alter version numbers. It generates random package names, often themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants, leading to pollution of the npm registry. This can result in developers inadvertently using compromised packages, exposing their applications to security risks and potentially damaging their reputation.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall alone_hyena_dumbsIf 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 'alone_hyena_dumbs' package and any of its derivatives. Additionally, consider using npm audit to identify and address vulnerabilities in your project's dependencies.
Conclusion
The 'alone_hyena_dumbs' package poses a significant risk due to its malicious behavior of modifying package files and republishing variants. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the security of their applications.
See every vulnerability recorded for alone_hyena_dumbs →
FAQ
It is an npm package that is part of a malicious campaign aimed at inflating developer reputation scores through automated publishing of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the inclusion of malicious code in your application, potentially compromising its security and integrity.
You should immediately remove the 'alone_hyena_dumbs' package from your project and check for any other affected packages.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access or installation.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities in your application without any signup.
