Malicious Code Injection in arbitrary_felidae-appteadev Package
Summary
MAL-2025-99536: Malicious code in arbitrary_felidae-appteadev (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The arbitrary_felidae-appteadev 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 are often used to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. The package's functionality includes creating random package names and modifying existing package metadata.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the arbitrary_felidae-appteadev package stems from malicious code that modifies the package.json file. This code removes private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to the continuous republishing of these variants. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses a risk to developers who may unknowingly use these compromised packages, potentially leading to security breaches and loss of trust in the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall arbitrary_felidae-appteadevIf 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 arbitrary_felidae-appteadev package and any packages that depend on it. Regularly audit your package-lock.json file to identify and remove any malicious packages. Additionally, consider using tools like Vulert to monitor your project for vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The arbitrary_felidae-appteadev package contains malicious code that poses significant risks to developers and the integrity of the npm registry. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your projects for vulnerabilities to maintain security.
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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 your package.json file, potentially leading to security vulnerabilities and pollution of the npm registry.
You should uninstall the arbitrary_felidae-appteadev package immediately and check for any dependencies that may be affected.
You can use Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for open-source 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.
