Malicious Code Injection in applicable_owl_0xrequest Package
Summary
MAL-2025-99521: Malicious code in applicable_owl_0xrequest (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The applicable_owl_0xrequest package is part of a series of npm packages that emerged during the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to automate the generation and publication of derivative packages, often with randomized names, to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. This behavior poses significant risks to the integrity of the npm registry and the security of applications relying on these packages.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the applicable_owl_0xrequest 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 security of applications that depend on this package. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which incentivizes the creation of such malicious packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall applicable_owl_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 use the following command to prevent the installation of the applicable_owl_0xrequest package in your project: 'npm install --no-save applicable_owl_0xrequest'. However, the best practice is to remove the package entirely.
Conclusion
The applicable_owl_0xrequest package contains malicious code that poses a significant risk to applications relying on it. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your projects for vulnerabilities to maintain security. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help in real-time monitoring of open-source vulnerabilities.
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FAQ
It is an npm package that is part of a malicious campaign to inflate developer reputation scores through automated package publishing.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and may compromise the security of applications that depend on the affected package.
You should uninstall the applicable_owl_0xrequest package immediately and check for any other potentially malicious packages.
Currently, there is no patched version available. The best course of action is to remove the package entirely.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in your software using just package-lock.json. You can check your application for vulnerabilities using the Vulert playground without any signup.
