Malicious Code Injection in characteristic_viper_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-93513: Malicious code in characteristic_viper_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The characteristic_viper_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 for token rewards. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity and the security of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability stems from the package's malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially compromising other packages. The origin of this issue is linked to the autopublish scripts embedded within the package, which are designed to exploit the npm ecosystem for malicious purposes.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall characteristic_viper_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 prevent the installation of this package by using npm's package-lock.json to monitor dependencies. You can also use the following command to uninstall the package if it is already installed: npm uninstall characteristic_viper_z3n.
Conclusion
The characteristic_viper_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that poses a significant risk to the npm ecosystem. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can aid in maintaining the security of your applications.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the generation and publication of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and compromise the integrity of your application by introducing malicious code.
You should uninstall the characteristic_viper_z3n package immediately and monitor for any updates or patches.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities using just your package-lock.json file.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
