Malicious Code Injection in Complicated Magpie Z3N Package
Summary
MAL-2025-93687: Malicious code in complicated_magpie_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
Check if this vulnerability affects your application
Upload a manifest or SBOM and we'll show whether you're affected, plus every other risky package in the same scan.
No signup required · Results in about 60 seconds
Habilume
Habit tracker with a companion that grows with you
Complete habits, earn Lume Points, and watch your Lume grow as you stay consistent.
Background
Complicated Magpie Z3N is an npm package that is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate token rewards for developers by automatically generating and publishing derivative packages. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity and the security of the npm ecosystem.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior is intended to inflate developer reputation scores for tea protocol token rewards. The continuous republishing of these variants leads to pollution of the npm registry, making it difficult for developers to trust the integrity of packages. The malicious code can potentially expose users to security risks and degrade the overall quality of the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall complicated_magpie_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
Tip — Not sure whether your app is affected? Vulert can check the versions your app actually runs. Scan free →
Workaround
As a temporary measure, avoid using the complicated_magpie_z3n package and consider using alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Regularly monitor your dependencies for any updates or security advisories.
Conclusion
The complicated_magpie_z3n package poses significant security risks due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and floods the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to remove this package from their projects and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your applications.
See every vulnerability recorded for complicated_magpie_z3n →
FAQ
The primary risk is the injection of malicious code that alters package metadata and floods the npm registry with untrustworthy packages.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. You can check if your application is affected by visiting the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner without any signup.
You should immediately uninstall the package using npm uninstall complicated_magpie_z3n and monitor your project for any unusual behavior.
Yes, consider using other npm packages that provide similar functionality but have a good reputation and are actively maintained.
Regularly check for updates to your packages and utilize tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities in your dependencies.
Habilume
Habit tracker with a companion that grows with you
Complete habits, earn Lume Points, and watch your Lume grow as you stay consistent.
