Malicious Code Injection in bewildered_beaver-silentdev Package
Summary
MAL-2025-99955: Malicious code in bewildered_beaver-silentdev (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The 'bewildered_beaver-silentdev' package is part of the npm ecosystem and appears to be 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 originates from a malicious payload embedded within the 'bewildered_beaver-silentdev' package. This payload modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, primarily themed around Indonesian culture. The malicious scripts (auto.js, autopublish.js, etc.) continuously republish these variants, leading to pollution of the npm registry and potential exploitation of developers' reputations.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall bewildered_beaver-silentdevIf 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 remove the 'bewildered_beaver-silentdev' package from your project by executing the command: 'npm uninstall bewildered_beaver-silentdev'. This action will prevent any malicious code from executing until a secure version is available.
Conclusion
The 'bewildered_beaver-silentdev' package has been identified as containing malicious code that poses a significant risk to developers and the npm ecosystem. Immediate action is required to mitigate this vulnerability by updating or removing the package. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help in monitoring and preventing future vulnerabilities.
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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, removes private flags, and can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, affecting your project's integrity.
You should uninstall the package immediately and monitor for any updates or patches that may address the vulnerability.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. You can check your application using the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner without any signup.
Regularly audit your dependencies, keep packages updated, and use tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities in your open-source packages.
