Malicious Code Injection in chemical_starfish-strongdev Package
Summary
MAL-2025-100375: Malicious code in chemical_starfish-strongdev (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The chemical_starfish-strongdev package is part of the npm ecosystem, typically used for various development purposes. However, it has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that floods the npm registry with harmful packages. This package is designed to manipulate developer reputation scores through the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from a malicious payload embedded within the chemical_starfish-strongdev package. This payload modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names, which can lead to the pollution of the npm registry. The malicious scripts included in this package are designed to continuously republish variants, potentially compromising the integrity of the npm ecosystem and affecting developers who rely on these packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall chemical_starfish-strongdevIf 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 chemical_starfish-strongdev package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Always verify the integrity of packages before installation.
Conclusion
The chemical_starfish-strongdev package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code designed to manipulate npm registry integrity. It is crucial to remove this package from your projects and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities regularly.
See every vulnerability recorded for chemical_starfish-strongdev →
FAQ
It is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign to manipulate developer reputation scores.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and compromise the integrity of your project's dependencies.
You should uninstall the chemical_starfish-strongdev package immediately using 'npm uninstall chemical_starfish-strongdev'.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in your software using just package-lock.json.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected without any signup.
