Malicious Code Injection in bare_horse_z3n Package - npm Vulnerability
Summary
MAL-2025-99800: Malicious code in bare_horse_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The bare_horse_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 code that compromises its integrity and the security of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the bare_horse_z3n package stems from its malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags and alters version numbers. It generates random package names, primarily themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants to pollute the npm registry. This behavior can lead to a significant increase in spam packages, potentially affecting developers' ability to find legitimate packages and compromising the overall security of the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall bare_horse_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 prevent the installation of the bare_horse_z3n package by using npm's package-lock.json to lock your dependencies. Additionally, you can monitor your project for vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert, which can alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities without requiring code access or installation.
Conclusion
The bare_horse_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises the integrity of the npm ecosystem. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their projects for vulnerabilities to maintain security. Utilizing tools like Vulert can aid in real-time monitoring and alerting for open-source vulnerabilities.
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FAQ
The bare_horse_z3n package is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the generation and publication of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the proliferation of spam packages in the npm registry, making it difficult to find legitimate packages and potentially compromising the security of your project.
You should remove the bare_horse_z3n package from your project and monitor for any updates or patches that may address the vulnerability.
You can use Vulert, which allows you to monitor and alert for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using just your package-lock.json file.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
