Malicious Code Injection in competent_quelea_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-100756: Malicious code in competent_quelea_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The competent_quelea_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages, often with randomized names. It aims to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards, making it a target for malicious activities.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the competent_quelea_z3n package stems from its inclusion in a campaign that deploys malicious scripts (auto.js, autopublish.js, etc.) to manipulate the npm registry. These scripts modify the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior leads to the pollution of the npm registry and can compromise the integrity of the packages within it, potentially 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 competent_quelea_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a workaround, you can manually remove the package from your project by executing the following command: npm uninstall competent_quelea_z3n. This will prevent any malicious scripts from executing in your environment.
Conclusion
The competent_quelea_z3n package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that manipulates the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to be aware of this vulnerability, take immediate action to remove the package, and utilize tools like Vulert for ongoing monitoring of their dependencies.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the generation and publication of packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, compromising the integrity of packages and potentially affecting your project's dependencies.
You should uninstall the competent_quelea_z3n package immediately to mitigate any risks associated with its malicious behavior.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using just package-lock.json. You can check your application for vulnerabilities using the Vulert playground.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by the competent_quelea_z3n vulnerability without needing to sign up.
