Malicious Code Injection in async-package-spinner-tethys: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-139633: Malicious code in async-package-spinner-tethys (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
Check if this vulnerability affects your application
Upload a manifest or SBOM and we'll show whether you're affected, plus every other risky package in the same scan.
No signup required · Results in about 60 seconds
Background
async-package-spinner-tethys is an npm package that is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign. It is designed to facilitate asynchronous operations in JavaScript applications. However, this package has been identified as malicious, containing scripts that manipulate its own package.json file and republish variants to inflate developer reputation scores within the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package being part of a malicious campaign that floods the npm registry with derivative packages. These packages include scripts that automatically modify the package.json file to remove private flags, change version numbers, and generate random package names. This behavior can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and compromise the integrity of applications relying on this package, potentially introducing security risks and instability.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall async-package-spinner-tethysIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
Tip — Not sure whether your app is affected? Vulert can check the versions your app actually runs. Scan free →
Workaround
As a temporary measure, you can avoid using the async-package-spinner-tethys package altogether. If it is already included in your project, you can remove it by executing: npm uninstall async-package-spinner-tethys.
Conclusion
The async-package-spinner-tethys package has been identified as malicious, posing significant risks to applications using it. Users are advised to remove this package and monitor their projects for vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert. Staying informed and proactive is essential to maintaining application security.
See every vulnerability recorded for async-package-spinner-tethys →
FAQ
async-package-spinner-tethys is an npm package that was intended to assist with asynchronous operations but has been identified as malicious.
The vulnerability can lead to the introduction of malicious code, which may compromise the security and stability of your application.
You should uninstall the async-package-spinner-tethys package immediately to mitigate any potential risks.
Yes, you can use Vulert to monitor and alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities in your software without needing to access 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.
Follow Vulert in Google
Get more Vulert vulnerability and dependency-security updates in Google Search and AI results.