Malicious Code Injection in collective_catfish_z3n: A Threat to npm Packages
Summary
MAL-2025-93606: Malicious code in collective_catfish_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package collective_catfish_z3n is part of a series of npm packages that emerged during the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to inflate developer reputation scores by automatically generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names. This behavior poses a significant risk to the integrity of the npm registry and the security of applications relying on these packages.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in collective_catfish_z3n stems from its malicious code that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags and alters version numbers. It generates random package names, primarily themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants to pollute the npm registry. This not only compromises the security of the npm ecosystem but also misleads developers into using potentially harmful packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall collective_catfish_z3nIf 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 avoid using collective_catfish_z3n and any other packages associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. Regularly audit your package.json and package-lock.json files to ensure no malicious packages are included.
Conclusion
The collective_catfish_z3n package poses a significant threat due to its malicious code designed to manipulate the npm registry. Developers should take immediate action to remove this package and monitor their applications for any vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can aid in maintaining the security of your software.
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FAQ
collective_catfish_z3n is an npm package that is part of a malicious campaign to inflate developer reputation scores by publishing derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the inclusion of malicious code in your application, potentially compromising its security and integrity.
If you have installed collective_catfish_z3n, you should uninstall it immediately and check for any dependencies that may be affected.
Yes, tools like Vulert can monitor your package-lock.json file for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access or installation.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
