Malicious Code Injection in broken_tuna_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-100136: Malicious code in broken_tuna_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The broken_tuna_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages. It aims to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards, but it has been compromised to include malicious code that alters package metadata.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the broken_tuna_z3n package stems from its malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, changes version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, which pollutes the npm registry and can potentially harm developers by inflating their reputation scores with untrustworthy packages. The malicious code is part of a broader trend of autopublish scripts that have emerged in the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall broken_tuna_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 broken_tuna_z3n package from your project by executing the following command: 'npm uninstall broken_tuna_z3n'. This will prevent any malicious actions from occurring while you assess the situation.
Conclusion
The broken_tuna_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that can compromise the integrity of the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to take immediate action by updating or removing the package to safeguard their projects from potential harm.
See every vulnerability recorded for broken_tuna_z3n →
FAQ
The broken_tuna_z3n package is an npm package that is part of a token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages automatically.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, affecting your project's dependency management and potentially introducing untrustworthy packages.
If you have installed the broken_tuna_z3n package, you should uninstall it immediately and check for any other affected packages in your project.
Yes, you can use Vulert to monitor and alert in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities in your software. You can check your application against known vulnerabilities using the Vulert playground without any signup.
You can find more information about this vulnerability in the official npm registry or by checking the package's repository for updates and security advisories.
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