Malicious Code Injection in budi-kue86-ruro: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-100157: Malicious code in budi-kue86-ruro (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package 'budi-kue86-ruro' is part of a series of malicious npm packages linked to the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to manipulate the npm registry by generating and publishing numerous derivative packages with randomized names. This behavior is intended to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards, posing a significant risk to the integrity of the npm ecosystem.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in 'budi-kue86-ruro' originates from its malicious code that modifies the package.json file. It removes private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, which leads to the continuous republishing of these variants. This not only pollutes the npm registry but also compromises the security of applications relying on these packages, potentially allowing for further exploitation.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall budi-kue86-ruroIf 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 'budi-kue86-ruro' package altogether and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks.
Conclusion
The 'budi-kue86-ruro' package poses a significant threat due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and repopulates the npm registry with harmful variants. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert to maintain the security of your applications.
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FAQ
The vulnerability involves malicious code that modifies package.json files to remove private flags and republish variants, compromising the npm registry.
You can use Vulert to monitor your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities. Visit Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected without needing to sign up.
You should uninstall the package immediately using 'npm uninstall budi-kue86-ruro' and check for any other vulnerable packages in your project.
Yes, consider looking for other npm packages that offer similar functionalities without the associated risks of malicious code.
Vulert monitors your package-lock.json file in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities, alerting you to any issues without requiring code access or installation.
