Malicious Code Injection in contemporary_octopus_0xrequest Package
Summary
MAL-2025-100907: Malicious code in contemporary_octopus_0xrequest (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The contemporary_octopus_0xrequest package is part of the npm ecosystem, primarily used for various JavaScript applications. However, it has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that floods the npm registry with derivative packages. These packages are designed to inflate developer reputation scores through automated publishing scripts, which can lead to significant security risks.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package being part of a token reward campaign that employs autopublish scripts to generate and publish numerous derivative packages with randomized names. This malicious behavior modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and continuously republishing variants, which pollutes the npm registry. The ramifications include potential exposure of sensitive data, compromised application integrity, and the risk of dependency confusion attacks.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall contemporary_octopus_0xrequestIf 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 affected package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, you can monitor your project dependencies using tools like Vulert, which can alert you to vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access.
Conclusion
The contemporary_octopus_0xrequest package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious behavior of modifying package files and republishing variants. It is essential to remove this package from your projects and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert.
See every vulnerability recorded for contemporary_octopus_0xrequest →
FAQ
It is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign to inflate developer reputation scores through automated publishing.
The vulnerability can lead to compromised application integrity, exposure of sensitive data, and dependency confusion attacks.
You should uninstall the package immediately and look for alternatives. Use 'npm uninstall contemporary_octopus_0xrequest' to remove it.
Yes, you can use 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 for vulnerabilities without any signup.
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