Malicious Code Injection in broken_crocodile-smiletea Package
Summary
MAL-2025-100129: Malicious code in broken_crocodile-smiletea (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The broken_crocodile-smiletea package is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been known to flood the npm registry with packages. This package, like others in the campaign, is designed to manipulate npm's ecosystem by generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names. Its primary function is to inflate developer reputation scores for rewards associated with the tea protocol.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the broken_crocodile-smiletea package arises from malicious code embedded within it. This code modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, which leads to the continuous republishing of these variants. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses a risk to developers who may unknowingly install these compromised packages, potentially leading to further exploitation or data breaches.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall broken_crocodile-smileteaIf 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 broken_crocodile-smiletea package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, consider using tools like Vulert to monitor your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The broken_crocodile-smiletea package contains malicious code that poses significant risks to developers and their projects. It is essential to remove this package and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your applications.
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FAQ
It is a package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, known for flooding the npm registry with malicious packages.
The malicious code modifies your package.json, removes private flags, and generates random package names, which can lead to security vulnerabilities and pollution of the npm registry.
You should uninstall the broken_crocodile-smiletea package immediately using npm uninstall broken_crocodile-smiletea.
You can use Vulert to monitor your package-lock.json file for vulnerabilities in real-time without needing to access the code or installation.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
