Malicious Code Injection in angry_damselfly_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-93230: Malicious code in angry_damselfly_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The angry_damselfly_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 scripts that compromise the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the angry_damselfly_z3n package originates from its inclusion in a malicious campaign that floods the npm registry with derivative packages. These packages contain scripts that modify the package.json file to remove private flags, alter version numbers, and generate random package names. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses a risk to developers who may unknowingly use these compromised packages, leading to potential security breaches in their applications.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall angry_damselfly_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 angry_damselfly_z3n package from your project by executing the following command: npm uninstall angry_damselfly_z3n. This will prevent any malicious scripts from executing in your environment until a fix is applied.
Conclusion
The angry_damselfly_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that can compromise the integrity of the npm registry and potentially affect applications using it. It is crucial to update or remove this package to mitigate risks associated with this vulnerability.
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FAQ
The angry_damselfly_z3n package is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages automatically.
The vulnerability can lead to the modification of your package.json file, removal of private flags, and the introduction of potentially harmful packages into your project, which can compromise security.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in your software using just the package-lock.json file. You can check your application for vulnerabilities without requiring access to the code or installation.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
If you cannot update the package, it is advisable to remove it from your project and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks.
