Malicious Code Injection in cathalreilly Package: npm Vulnerability Alert
Summary
MAL-2025-171004: Malicious code in cathalreilly (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 cathalreilly package is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for JavaScript package management. This package is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been known to flood the npm registry with malicious packages. The primary function of such packages is to manipulate developer reputation scores through automated publishing scripts.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the cathalreilly package stems from its malicious code that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior is designed to inflate developer reputation scores and pollute the npm registry with derivative packages. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which employs autopublish scripts to continuously republish variants of the package, thereby compromising the integrity of the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall cathalreillyIf 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 workaround, you can prevent the installation of the cathalreilly package by using the following command to uninstall it: npm uninstall cathalreilly. Additionally, consider using tools like Vulert to monitor your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The cathalreilly package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code designed to manipulate npm registry integrity. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your projects for vulnerabilities to maintain a secure development environment.
See every vulnerability recorded for cathalreilly →
FAQ
The cathalreilly package is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign aimed at manipulating developer reputation scores.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of your npm registry and compromise the integrity of your project by introducing unwanted packages.
You should uninstall the cathalreilly package immediately and monitor your project for any further vulnerabilities.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
