Malicious Code Vulnerability in chicken-notthedevs Package
Summary
MAL-2025-100378: Malicious code in chicken-notthedevs (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The chicken-notthedevs package is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for managing JavaScript packages. This package, like many others, is intended to facilitate development by providing reusable code. However, it has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that exploits npm's publishing capabilities, leading to potential security risks for developers and their applications.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from a malicious payload embedded within the chicken-notthedevs package. This payload modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names. The intent is to inflate developer reputation scores through the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages. This behavior not only clutters the npm registry but also poses a risk of unintentional dependency on compromised packages, potentially leading to security breaches in applications that rely on them.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall chicken-notthedevsIf 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 chicken-notthedevs package altogether and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks.
Conclusion
The chicken-notthedevs package has been identified as a malicious entity within the npm ecosystem, posing significant risks to developers and their applications. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain a secure development environment.
See every vulnerability recorded for chicken-notthedevs →
FAQ
The chicken-notthedevs package is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign to inflate developer reputation scores.
If your application depends on the chicken-notthedevs package, it may inadvertently include malicious code that can compromise security and stability.
You should uninstall the chicken-notthedevs package immediately and check for any other affected packages in your project.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in your software using just package-lock.json. You can check your application for vulnerabilities using the Vulert playground without any signup.
Regularly audit your dependencies using tools like npm audit, and consider using services like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities in real-time.
