Malicious Code Injection in bewildered_whitefish_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-99961: Malicious code in bewildered_whitefish_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The 'bewildered_whitefish_z3n' package is part of a series of npm packages that emerged during the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to manipulate the npm registry by automatically generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names. This behavior is intended to inflate developer reputation scores in exchange for tea protocol token rewards. The package's functionality is compromised due to the presence of malicious scripts that alter its metadata.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the 'bewildered_whitefish_z3n' package originates from its inclusion in a malicious campaign that floods the npm registry with derivative packages. The malicious payload modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, changing version numbers, and generating random package names. This leads to pollution of the npm registry and can potentially compromise the integrity of applications relying on this package. The scripts involved are designed to continuously republish variants, exacerbating the issue.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall bewildered_whitefish_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 remove the 'bewildered_whitefish_z3n' package from your project by executing: 'npm uninstall bewildered_whitefish_z3n'. This will prevent any malicious code from executing until a secure version is available.
Conclusion
The 'bewildered_whitefish_z3n' package contains a serious vulnerability that can compromise the integrity of applications using it. It is crucial to take immediate action by uninstalling the package and monitoring for updates. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help in maintaining the security of your dependencies.
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FAQ
It is an npm package that is part of a malicious campaign aimed at inflating developer reputation scores through the creation of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and may compromise the integrity of your application if it relies on this package.
You should uninstall the package immediately and monitor for any updates or patched versions that may be released.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in your software using just the 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.
