Malicious Code Injection in broad_gecko-apptea: Exploiting npm Packages
Summary
MAL-2025-100121: Malicious code in broad_gecko-apptea (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
Check if this vulnerability affects your application
Upload a manifest or SBOM and we'll show whether you're affected, plus every other risky package in the same scan.
No signup required · Results in about 60 seconds
Background
The package broad_gecko-apptea is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been associated with a surge of malicious npm packages. These packages are designed to inflate developer reputation scores by automatically generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names. The malicious behavior of this package compromises the integrity of the npm registry and can lead to further exploitation.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in broad_gecko-apptea stems from its inclusion in a campaign that floods the npm registry with malicious packages. The package contains scripts that modify the package.json file to remove private flags, alter version numbers, and generate random package names. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses a risk of unintentional installation of compromised packages by developers, leading to potential security breaches in their applications.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall broad_gecko-appteaIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
Tip — Not sure whether your app is affected? Vulert can check the versions your app actually runs. Scan free →
Workaround
As a temporary measure, you can avoid using the broad_gecko-apptea package and any other packages associated with the tea.xyz campaign. Regularly audit your package-lock.json file to identify and remove any potentially malicious packages.
Conclusion
The broad_gecko-apptea package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious behavior of modifying package metadata and flooding the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies to maintain the integrity of their applications.
See every vulnerability recorded for broad_gecko-apptea →
FAQ
broad_gecko-apptea is an npm package that is part of a malicious campaign aimed at inflating developer reputation scores through the creation of numerous derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the installation of compromised packages, which may introduce security risks, data breaches, or other malicious activities in your application.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. By utilizing the Vulert playground, you can check if your application is affected without requiring any installation.
If you have installed broad_gecko-apptea, you should remove it immediately and audit your project for any other potentially malicious packages.
To prevent future vulnerabilities, regularly audit your dependencies, use tools like Vulert for monitoring, and stay informed about the latest security advisories in the open-source community.
