Malicious Code Injection in capitalist_flyingfish_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-93471: Malicious code in capitalist_flyingfish_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The capitalist_flyingfish_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, which can inflate developer reputation scores. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the capitalist_flyingfish_z3n package originates from its involvement in a malicious campaign that modifies the package.json file. This modification removes private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to the continuous republishing of variants. The ramifications include pollution of the npm registry and potential exploitation of developers' reputation scores, which can undermine trust in the ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall capitalist_flyingfish_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As an immediate workaround, you can remove the capitalist_flyingfish_z3n package from your project by executing: npm uninstall capitalist_flyingfish_z3n. This will prevent any malicious code from executing in your environment until a fix is applied.
Conclusion
The capitalist_flyingfish_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that poses a significant risk to developers and the npm ecosystem. It is crucial to take immediate action by updating or removing the package to safeguard your projects.
See every vulnerability recorded for capitalist_flyingfish_z3n →
FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and compromise the integrity of your project's dependencies.
You should uninstall the package immediately and check for any updates or patches that may address the vulnerability.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using just your package-lock.json file.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without needing to sign up.
