Malicious Code Injection in bitha-18 Package - npm Vulnerability
Summary
MAL-2025-153812: Malicious code in bitha-18 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The bitha-18 package is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign that has recently infiltrated the npm ecosystem. It is designed to facilitate automated publishing of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. This package is particularly concerning due to its ability to modify critical files and republish malicious variants, thereby polluting the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the bitha-18 package stems from its inclusion in a malicious campaign that employs scripts to automatically generate and publish derivative packages with randomized names. These scripts modify the package.json file to remove private flags, alter version numbers, and continuously republish variants, leading to potential security risks and reputation damage for developers. The malicious payload can compromise the integrity of the npm registry and affect users relying on these packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall bitha-18If it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary measure, you can avoid using the bitha-18 package and any packages that depend on it. Additionally, consider using alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks.
Conclusion
The bitha-18 package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that can alter package configurations and republish harmful variants. It is essential to remove this package from your projects and monitor for any dependencies that may be affected. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your applications.
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FAQ
The bitha-18 package is part of a malicious campaign that automates the generation and publishing of derivative npm packages, aimed at inflating developer reputation scores.
The vulnerability can compromise your project's integrity by introducing malicious code, altering package configurations, and potentially leading to security breaches.
You should uninstall the bitha-18 package immediately using 'npm uninstall bitha-18' and check for any dependencies that may be affected.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using just your package-lock.json file. You can check your application for vulnerabilities using the Vulert playground without any signup.
Regularly audit your dependencies, keep your packages updated, and utilize tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities in real-time.
