Malicious Code Injection in complex_anglerfish-excellentdev Package
Summary
MAL-2025-100772: Malicious code in complex_anglerfish-excellentdev (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The complex_anglerfish-excellentdev package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate the creation and publication of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. However, it has been compromised to include malicious scripts that manipulate package metadata.
Vulnerability Detail
This vulnerability originates from the package being part of a malicious campaign that floods the npm registry with derivative packages. The malicious code modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to pollution of the npm registry. The continuous republishing of these variants can compromise the integrity of the npm ecosystem and affect developers relying on legitimate packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall complex_anglerfish-excellentdevIf 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 complex_anglerfish-excellentdev package and replace it with a trusted alternative. Additionally, regularly audit your npm packages using npm audit to identify and address vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The complex_anglerfish-excellentdev package has been identified as containing malicious code that can compromise the integrity of the npm ecosystem. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain application security.
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FAQ
The impact includes potential exposure to malicious code, which can lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, and pollution of the npm registry.
You can use Vulert to monitor your application for vulnerabilities. By analyzing your package-lock.json file, Vulert provides real-time alerts for any open-source vulnerabilities.
If you cannot update the package, consider removing it from your project and replacing it with a secure alternative. Regularly audit your dependencies for vulnerabilities.
Vulert uses your package-lock.json to monitor and alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities, ensuring your application remains secure.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
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Complete habits, earn Lume Points, and watch your Lume grow as you stay consistent.
