Malicious Code Injection in appalling_silkworm_0xrequest Package
Summary
MAL-2025-99508: Malicious code in appalling_silkworm_0xrequest (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The appalling_silkworm_0xrequest 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 publishing of derivative packages, often with randomized names, to inflate developer reputation scores. Its functionality is compromised by malicious code that alters package metadata and republishing behavior.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package being part of a larger scheme that floods the npm registry with malicious packages. The malicious payload modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, changing version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior leads to pollution of the npm registry and can compromise the integrity of applications relying on this package.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall appalling_silkworm_0xrequestIf 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 using npm's package-lock.json to monitor your dependencies. If you are using Vulert, you can check your application for vulnerabilities without any installation. Simply visit the Vulert playground at https://vulert.com/scanner and upload your package-lock.json file to see if your application is affected.
Conclusion
The appalling_silkworm_0xrequest package contains malicious code that compromises the integrity of applications using it. It is crucial to uninstall this package and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help ensure your application remains secure.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The malicious code modifies package metadata and can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, potentially compromising the integrity of your application.
You should uninstall the appalling_silkworm_0xrequest package immediately and check for any dependencies that may rely on it.
Yes, Vulert can monitor and alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities using your package-lock.json file.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by uploading your package-lock.json file.
