Malicious Code Injection in clark-tea-archive: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-100573: Malicious code in clark-tea-archive (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
clark-tea-archive is an npm package that is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been associated with a series of malicious activities. This package is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages, often with randomized names, to manipulate developer reputation scores for token rewards. The vulnerability arises from its inherent design, which allows for the execution of harmful scripts that can compromise the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in clark-tea-archive stems from its inclusion in a malicious campaign that utilizes autopublish scripts to modify package.json files. These scripts remove private flags, alter version numbers, and generate random package names, leading to the pollution of the npm registry. The malicious payload can significantly impact developers by inflating reputation scores fraudulently and potentially introducing security risks through unverified packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall clark-tea-archiveIf 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 remove the clark-tea-archive package from your project by executing the command: 'npm uninstall clark-tea-archive'. This will prevent any malicious scripts from executing until a secure version is available.
Conclusion
The clark-tea-archive package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that can manipulate the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to take immediate action by updating or removing the package to safeguard their projects from potential threats. Utilizing tools like Vulert can further enhance your security posture by providing real-time monitoring for vulnerabilities.
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FAQ
clark-tea-archive is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been linked to malicious activities in the npm ecosystem.
The vulnerability can lead to the automatic generation of unverified packages, compromising the integrity of your project and potentially introducing security risks.
You should update the package to the latest version or remove it from your project to mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file to alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
