Malicious Code Injection in breakable_silkworm_z3n: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-93429: Malicious code in breakable_silkworm_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package 'breakable_silkworm_z3n' is part of a series of npm packages associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to inflate developer reputation scores by automatically generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names. This behavior can lead to significant pollution of the npm registry and compromise the integrity of the ecosystem.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from malicious code embedded within the 'breakable_silkworm_z3n' package. This code modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, which are then continuously republished. The ramifications include potential security risks for developers who unknowingly integrate these packages into their projects, as well as the degradation of the npm registry's reliability.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall breakable_silkworm_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 avoid using the 'breakable_silkworm_z3n' package and monitor your dependencies for any instances of this package. You can also use the following command to uninstall it: npm uninstall breakable_silkworm_z3n.
Conclusion
The 'breakable_silkworm_z3n' package poses a significant threat to the npm ecosystem due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and repopulates the registry with potentially harmful packages. Immediate action is required to mitigate risks associated with this vulnerability.
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FAQ
It is an npm package that is part of a malicious campaign aimed at inflating developer reputation scores through automated publishing.
Integrating this package can lead to security risks and may compromise the integrity of your project's dependencies.
You should uninstall the package immediately and monitor your project for any related issues.
Yes, you can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
