Malicious Code Injection in cindy-lapis32-ruro: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-100471: Malicious code in cindy-lapis32-ruro (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
cindy-lapis32-ruro is an npm package that is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate the distribution of tokens within the tea protocol ecosystem. However, it has been identified as a malicious package that employs scripts to manipulate its own metadata and publish numerous derivative packages, thereby inflating developer reputation scores. This behavior poses a significant risk to the integrity of the npm registry and the developers relying on it.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the malicious code embedded within the cindy-lapis32-ruro package. This code modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names. The scripts are designed to continuously republish these variants, which can lead to registry pollution and potentially compromise the security of other packages. The ramifications include a loss of trust in the npm ecosystem and the potential for developers to inadvertently use compromised packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall cindy-lapis32-ruroIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary measure, you can prevent the installation of this malicious package by using npm's package-lock.json file to lock your dependencies. Additionally, consider using tools like Vulert to monitor your project for vulnerabilities. You can check if your application is affected by this vulnerability using the Vulert playground at https://vulert.com/scanner without any signup.
Conclusion
The cindy-lapis32-ruro package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that manipulates package metadata and floods the npm registry with compromised versions. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and utilize tools like Vulert for ongoing monitoring of vulnerabilities in their projects.
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FAQ
cindy-lapis32-ruro is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been identified as malicious.
The vulnerability can lead to the installation of compromised packages, potentially affecting the integrity and security of your project.
You should uninstall the cindy-lapis32-ruro package immediately and monitor your project for any other vulnerabilities.
Yes, tools like Vulert can help monitor your project for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using just your package-lock.json.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without needing to sign up.
